Ilie Costinel Jurnea, 37, of Lyndon Close, Birmingham, pleaded guilty to theft from a shop at Dudley Magistrates' Court on September 10. The offence took place at the Asda supermarket in Smethwick on July 28, where he selected various items from the shelves, including coffee and laundry supplies, totalling £116.
Jurnea approached the self-checkout and scanned only a selection of the goods, while other items were placed directly into his bag from the shopping basket. The court heard that the payment required was significantly lower than the total value of the goods in his possession. Security staff detained him as he left the store.
Defence cites lack of money and recent return to UK
Charlotte Bradford, defending, told the court: "There is no real explanation as to why he did what he did, there's no excuse for the offending." She added: "He tells me he realised what he was doing was wrong, and he didn't have any money at the time."
Bradford explained that Jurnea has been in and out of the UK. He returned around a month before the incident and was looking for work. He currently lives with friends and family and is solely reliant on their support. He has family in Romania and came to the UK hoping to find employment.
Financial penalty imposed
Magistrates fined Jurnea £40 for the offence. He must also pay a victim surcharge of £16 and £85 in court costs, bringing the total financial penalty to £141.
The case highlights the consequences of theft from retail premises, with security measures and legal proceedings leading to a conviction and financial penalties for the offender.
