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Man halfway through haircut gives chase to catch thief
It’s not Gotham City – but a pair of civilian crimefighters conjured up the image of Batman and Robin as they sprinted through the streets of Rothwell to catch a thief on Monday.
After a man walked into John Newman Hairdressing and snatched a mobile phone from under the owner’s nose customer Kevin Winson and hairdresser Darren Greenfield did not hesitate to react.
Mr Winson, halfway through a cut and with a black cape still around his neck, jumped out of his chair and joined Mr Greenfield to pass Mr Newman and pursue the thief toward Market Square.
The sight of the two chasing the man was described by Mr Newman as “like watching Batman and Robin”.
The duo were soon joined by two motorists who, seeing the commotion, split up and cornered the man at the end of Well Lane.
He was then pushed into a hedge and held by the men before a team of grateful police officers arrived.
Yesterday the thief, Isaia Stoian, faced Kettering magistrates charged with theft.
The 18-year-old, from Ilford in Essex, admitted the offence, saying he took the phone to sell for money to buy a ticket to get home to Romania.
Activating a suspended sentence for theft last year, he was jailed by magistrates for 26 weeks.
After the hearing, Mr Newman said it should act as a warning for any criminal wanting to take on the community of the town. He said: “People were jumping over themselves to help join in and catch this man.
“Being nearly 56 and slightly overweight I couldn’t keep up with the man and stopped at the Red Lion – but only to see my customer and hairdresser run by.
“It was so funny – they looked like Batman and Robin ahead of me, I was angry but laughing.
“Luckily two people I knew were also nearby in their cars and they teamed up, one going down Well Lane and the other down Ponder Street, to trap the man. I’ll be buying them all a few drinks.”
Police officers searched Stoian before finding the phone in the hedge. He was arrested and taken into custody.
Another man who was with Stoian was released without charge.
Mr Winson, 46, of Baker Avenue in Broughton, returned to the shop in Bridge Street 15 minutes later with cape still around his neck to have his haircut finished.
He said: “I wouldn’t say Batman, I’d say I looked more like Del Boy from Only Fools and Horses.”
The court heard how Stoian had walked into the shop as Mr Newman was cashing up at about 5pm.
He placed a newspaper over the victim’s iPhone before walking out with both in his hand.
Andy Hopkinson, for Stoian, said his client had found it difficult to find work since arriving in the country since 2004.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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Comments
There are 8 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
trucker
Friday, February 24, 2012 at 12:04 AMjust vsend him back to romania .this country is to soft. i dont want him as a guest either. i want to know why his brief thinks this person has been looking for work since he entered the uk in 2004, he is only 18 now, he will be a habitual theif come convict. get rid quick
il Capitano
Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 07:42 PMwhat was a romanian from essex doing in rothwell?! sightseeing?
Helen Cardy
Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 07:30 PMAs the thief admitted he stole the phone to sell so he could buy a ticket back to Rumania, why was he sentenced to 26 weeks in prison? Give him the ticket he wanted - it would be cheaper - then he need not come back
Ray Rodden
Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 04:19 PM"...We may welcome them as guests but we SHOULDN'T be a soft touch" even ;-)
Ray Rodden
Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 04:17 PMalthough in the EU (at the moment anyway) we should be able to easily deport and ban any EU member state individual from Britain for commiting crimes here. We may welcome them as guests but we should be a soft touch. If Scotland gets it's independence I include them as well. If a Scot commits a crime then send them to jail then deport them back for Salmond to deal with
trucker
Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 04:15 PMhave to agree mark
Mark Dragilocevic
Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 03:53 PMName, shame and deport the thief.
trucker
Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 01:25 PMstoian found it difficult to get work, ah bless him, lots of us have found it difficult to get work but we dont go round nicking stuff. well done to the guys who caught this thief
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