One of the women in the gang known as the Rolex Rippers, who targeted wealthy males and stole their luxury watches, has been sentenced to prison.
Romanian citizen Stefania Tinica is the first member of the group responsible for dozens of distraction thefts across the nation to be found guilty.
Five months apart, the 40-year-old and an unidentified female accomplice carried out separate attacks in upscale neighborhoods at opposite end of the nation.
When Tinica sought to hug and kiss one victim and attempted to do the same to another who resisted, he didn’t realize she was taking away his $15,000 Rolex watch.
The attempted robbery at Alderley Edge Golf Club in Cheshire was reported to have occurred on January 3 of last year.
Simon Kelly was approached by Tinica, who attempted to rob him of his £10,000 Rolex Submariner watch.
By emancipating himself, Mr. Kelly was able to shove one of them away.
Tinica gave up and departed with her companion.
Despite identifying Tinica as the attacker based on DNA found on Mr. Kelly’s wrist, police were unable to locate her.
On May 30, she attacked again, this time in Bingham Avenue in Poole, Dorset, a short distance from the upscale Parkstone Golf Club.
When Tinica approached her victim, he was crossing the street at the age of 75. In an effort to encourage him to embrace her, she abruptly wrapped her arms around him.
The elderly man got free, watched her get into a car, and then realized his Rolex Submariner watch, valued at £15,930, was missing.
Tinica was recognized by the police from CCTV footage taken from a nearby building, but the watch was never found.
At Luton Airport, she was eventually detained last November as she attempted to board a flight.
The organized crime gang is alleged to have committed more than 30 nearly identical robberies across southern England last year. Police believe the group is primarily made up of women from Eastern Europe.
Most frequently, victims were older men who had exposed wrists and were sporting luxury watches.
Along with the theft in Cheshire, thefts also occurred in the counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, Surrey, and Gloucestershire.
Even though Tinica was only charged with two offenses, it is unknown whether she has ever been connected to any of the others.
At Chester Crown Court, she admitted to robbery and attempted robbery and received a 40-month sentence.
The Home Secretary is required by law to deport any foreign national who receives a jail sentence of at least 12 months, according to the Home Office, unless a special exemption exists. The Home Office declined to comment on specific cases.
Today, Tinica’s victim from the Canford Cliffs attack expressed his gratitude for her capture.
The retired City finance professional claimed that despite his best efforts, he had not been able to replace the limited edition 50th anniversary submariner watches that he and his brothers had purchased for themselves.
I consider myself very fortunate that she has been caught, he remarked.
“The cops and the insurance company were both excellent, but I’m still pissed off that I misplaced the watch.”
I wore it daily because it has special meaning for me.
But every store I could think of where I tried to find one just gave me a blank stare.
I currently just own a Swatch, which I paid £83 for.
“I’m definitely more cautious now,” you say, “since the incident occurred in an unlikely location given how quiet the road is.”
On July 15, two women in Wimborne, Dorset, pretended to be representatives of a charity in order to divert Alan Bruce, a 64-year-old marine engineer, from his £14,000 Rolex watch.
He was shown a picture of Tinica and said without a doubt that she was not one of them.
In Emsworth, West Sussex, on July 7, retired wine merchant Derek Freestone, 77, had his £12,500 Rolex Oyster taken. Retired pilot Michael Parry, 84, had his £15,000 Rolex stolen by a lady posing as a charity worker outside his local supermarket in Bourton-on-the-water, Gloucestershire.
On July 17, Robin Haycock was attacked for his $20,000 Rolex Daytona in the parking lot of Ferndown Golf Club in Dorset.
Additionally, Richard Gray, 79, misplaced his £8,000 Rolex in October after being sidetracked by two women outside his Canford Cliffs, Poole, house.
In December, Hampshire Police announced that they were looking into more than 30 cases in which victims in their area had been targeted for expensive watches.
According to Dorset Police, no other arrests have been made in connection with any of their other comparable cases.