Woman who stalked mother around H&M to snatch purse from bag jailed
A woman who followed a mother around H&M in Birmingham city centre before snatching her purse from inside her bag has been jailed.
In April, thief Donka Eftimova went into H&M New Street and followed the woman, who was with her child, around the store.
The 22-year-old picked up a top and used it to cover her hand as she delved into the woman’s bag while she spoke to a member of staff and stole her purse.
Just weeks later in May, she went into the same shop again to repeat the crime, selecting a random item of clothing before stalking a woman around the shop.
She used the clothing to cover her hand as she delved into the woman’s bag and stole her phone.
On June 7 at Birmingham Magistrates Court she pleaded guilty to two counts of theft and was sentenced to four months in prison and ordered to pay £300 as compensation.
West Midlands Police say they are cracking down on pickpockets and raising awareness of these crimes, also highlighting the prosecution of thief Boby Angel.
Last month, Angel used a theft style called ‘Ringing The Changes’ in Selfridges in the Bullring.
The scam involves counting out large sums of money in front of a shop worker to ‘prove’ how much money they are handing over, then using distraction and sleight of hand skills to keep a large portion of the money in their hands without the knowledge of the staff.
On May 26, Angel used this technique to con an unsuspecting member of staff. CCTV shows Angel count out £720 at a cash desk in Selfridges and on handing it to the worker, he slipped a large amount of the cash into his left hand and hid it under the desk.
The 43-year-old pled guilty to theft and was sentenced to four and a half months in prison at Birmingham Magistrates Court on June 7. £400 was also seized as compensation.
Inspector Junior Stephens, Birmingham Investigation Manager, said: “We’re using both uniformed and undercover officers to identify those responsible for these thefts.
“We are seeing higher detection rates in the city of this type of crime and we will continue working closely with shop security, CCTV operators and other partners to stop and deter thieves. They have no place in our city.
"We want people to enjoy shopping, eating and generally going out in Birmingham, and not have it ruined by losing their valuables. We will not let a dishonest minority spoil it for everyone else."
Pickpockets love to work in crowded spaces. Help keep yourself safe when you’re out and about:
• Look who’s around you, Know who’s behind you, See who’s close to you.
• Be aware of your surroundings.
• Try to keep your valuables out of sight.
• Secure your bag properly, if it’s easy for you to get into, it’ll be easy for a thief to get into.
• Wear a bag that goes across your body to hold your most valuable items.
• Never leave your bag unattended and be aware of what’s going on around you.
• Avoid carrying your wallet or phone in your back pocket.
• When shopping with a pushchair, never leave your bag unattended on the back.
