Overview
- At Liverpool Crown Court on Jan. 13, Ion Zaharia, 44, and Samir Barbulesteanu, 23, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary and received prison terms of four years three months and three years six months respectively.
- Judge Gary Woodhall said the expectation is that both men will be deported after serving their sentences, with defence stating a Home Office direction relevant to deportation has already been signed.
- They arrived on Oct. 28 at Harwich in a Citroen C4 with French plates alongside a third man who has not been apprehended.
- Offences began within 24 hours and continued for about two weeks in Warrington and Scarborough, involving forced entries, ransacked rooms and thefts including jewellery, £1,500 and £40 in cash, and a safe.
- Police circulated images captured by doorbell cameras and CCTV, leading to the pair’s arrests on Nov. 9, when Zaharia was found with jewellery and £490; he has prior convictions in France, Romania and Austria, while Barbulesteanu had none.