Courts / Dublin / Report

Man to be sentenced over serial iPhone theft

Date
2017-07-14

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Dublin

County
Dublin

Summary

A 28-year-old man from Tallaght has pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to his involvement in the theft of five iPhones from mobile phone stores across the country between November 2015. Viorel Rostas admitted to taking part in robberies at outlets in Navan, Cavan, Letterkenny, Tralee, and Killarney over a five-day period, with the stolen handsets valued at over €3,500. During each incident, Rostas acted as a distraction or obstructed attempts to prevent the thefts while accomplices removed the phones. The robberies occurred during business hours and were recorded on store CCTV; none of the phones were recovered. Detective Garda evidence indicated Rostas was part of a group of four involved in the thefts. The defence outlined that Rostas took a €10,000 loan to finance his mother's funeral in Romania following her death in July 2015, subsequently agreeing to participate in the robberies due to pressure from the lender. Rostas, who has lived in Ireland over twenty years, has seventy-one previous convictions. Judge John Aylmer adjourned the case for sentencing on 24 July.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Man to be sentenced over serial iPhone theft. Charges or matters: stealing five iPhones from five separate Three mobile phone stores around the country; taking part in both of the robberies committed in Kerry and received a two-year suspended sentence. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

November 3 Incident
November 4 Incident
November 7 Incident
December 1, 2015 Incident
July 2015 Incident
February 2003 Adjournment
July 24 Adjournment
2017-07-14 Publication

Why: Rostas, who was born in Romania but has lived in Ireland for over twenty years, took a loan of €10,000 in order to arrange for numerous family members living in Ireland to return to Romania for his mother's funeral. CNI source report

Case subjects

Viorel Rostas

Defendant

Charges: stealing five iPhones from five separate Three mobile phone stores around the country; taking part in both of the robberies committed in Kerry and received a two-year suspended sentence (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: Judge John Aylmer adjourned the case for sentencing on July 24.