Routine road check finally lands Northampton van driver in court .. nine years late

Defendant, 36, fined after admitting going equipped to steal booze in 2011
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Magistrates hit a Northampton van driver with a £466 bill over a nine-year-old theft charge which only surfaced during a routine check on drivers.

Razvan-Petre Nicolescu was held in the town on Monday night over the outstanding charge for going equipped to steal booze from a supermarket in Manchester in May 2011.

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The case finally made it to court in Northampton on Tuesday after the defendant first failed to appear then went home to Romania.

Nicolescu appeared at Northampton Magistrates on Tuesday — nine years after he was due in court in ManchesterNicolescu appeared at Northampton Magistrates on Tuesday — nine years after he was due in court in Manchester
Nicolescu appeared at Northampton Magistrates on Tuesday — nine years after he was due in court in Manchester

He returned to England in 2018, working in Northampton, but was identified by police making a roadside check as part for the county Force's Operation Journey road safety campaign.

Nicolescu, 36, of Newcombe Road, St James, admitted going into an Asda in 2011 euipped to carry out a theft.

Prosecuting, Stella Moses told the court: "The defendant entered the supermarket with other persons who were witnessed by Asda staff to take a number of bottles of alcohol.

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"These were placed in a basket and then transferred into pockets."

Nicolescu was then searched by security teams at the store.

Defending, Inderdeep Singh Bhomra, admitted Mr Nicolescu had a chaotic lifestyle at the time of the offence and had returned home to Romania not long after.

But he added: "Mr Nicolescu is a very different man to the one he was in 2011 and wants to put this behind him."

Magistrates fined Nicolescu £346 plus a further £120 in costs.