An 81-year-old woman was tricked at a Newcastle cashpoint. The thief stole £400 after claiming the machine owed him money.
Marian Spirache and Samoila Vasile committed the crime. The woman felt shaken and foolish because she was trying to take out money.
The court sentenced Spirache and Vasile to jail. Spirache had 30 prior convictions, while Vasile had eleven previous convictions.
The woman went to a Lloyds Bank cashpoint around 10:30 am on November 7 and tried to withdraw £150. More money than she asked for came out.
Spirache approached the woman, claiming the machine owed him £400. The victim believed his story and gave him the cash. Vasile then arrived and said it was actually his money, so Spirache passed the money to him instead and said he would talk to bank staff.
The woman tried another withdrawal, but it failed, so she spoke to Lloyds staff. Staff discovered £400 went from her account, but the method they used remains unknown.
The bank repaid her stolen money. The woman said she felt annoyed and stupid, and she now avoids outdoor cashpoints because she fears a repeat incident.
Spirache faced a deportation order that took effect in May 2021. He was deported but kept returning to the UK. He entered the UK again by November, breaking the deportation order, and then stole from the elderly woman.
Vasile, age 20, admitted theft and fraud. Spirache, age 28, also admitted theft and further admitted breaching his deportation order. Vasile was jailed for a year, and Spirache received two years.
Vasile’s lawyer claimed it was an opportunistic crime, stating Vasile didn’t target the elderly woman. Vasile’s parents live in Oldham, and he was working as a delivery driver. Spirache’s lawyer said his family lives in Oldham and he wants to return to Romania legally, as he finds prison hard.