Travelling thief used 'can you speak Italian?' line to steal phones in Sunderland and Newcastle

Grafian Stanescu targeted students in university buildings as well as lone customers in cafes and a city library during two trips to the North East of England.

The married dad would ask the strangers if they could speak Italian then put a magazine or leaflet down in front of them, which he would pick back up during the conversation, along with the person's high-value phone.

Newcastle Crown Court heard the 25-year-old, who lives in Great Yarmouth, has theft convictions in Norfolk and Edinburgh.

Judge Tim Gittins today jailed Stanescu for 18 months for the latest offences, committed in Newcastle and Sunderland.

Judge Gittins told him: "It is clear you were travelling around the country engaged in distraction thefts of high value phones."

The judge said "people's lives" are often contained on their phone handsets.

The court heard Stanescu had looked for lone females to steal from, although his last victim was male.

Prosecutor Neil Pallister told the court CCTV showed Stanescu had travelled to Newcastle by car last December and stole an iPhone from a woman in a cafe then a Samsung device from a customer at the city's public library.

A month later he was back in the north and took iPhones from a woman in Starbucks and from students in Newcastle, Northumbria and Sunderland university buildings.

The court heard the victims suffered inconvenience, cost, loss of personal and vital contacts information, as well photographs.

They also described their trust in people being eroded.

Stanescu, of Granville Road, Great Yarmouth, admitted six charges of theft.

Cainan Lonsdale, defending, said Stanescu is a married dad who had lost his job and told the court: "He felt this was the only way he could make ends meet."

Mr Lonsdale said as a result of Stanescu being remanded into custody his family were evicted from their home and added: "He has described remand as traumatic."

The court heard Stanescu had been driven to the north east by someone else who "encouraged" his offending.