Romanian couple convicted for stealing beer kegs worth £76,000

Toma and Diana Ciorba, who arrived in the UK in November 2011, both pleaded guilty to the offence at Wood Green Crown Court yesterday, and a recommendation for deportation was made for the couple.

Toma Ciorba was sentenced to 16 months in prison and Diana Ciorba was given a 12 month sentence which was suspended for two years. She wasalso ordered to complete 100 hours of community punishment.

The Ciorbas aquired the kegs from unnamed sources over a period of time from their arrival in the UK. Some of the kegs have been identified as having been stolen from public houses in North London, Essex and Hertfordshire.

The kegs were offered for sale and Kegwatch sought the assistance of the Metropolitan Police for the apprehension of the offenders.

The couple were arrested at the Tottenham storage site in January as some of the kegs were being loaded onto an articulated lorry.

Detective Sergeant Daryl Keogh for the Metropolitan Police Service said: “Keg theft is a serious problem nationally. This was reflected during sentence, when the judge described the operation as ‘sophisticated and serious criminality’.

“My hope that this custodial sentence will act as a warning to others who see keg theft as an easy target.”

Brigid Simmonds, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), said: “We are grateful to the Metropolitan Police Service and other police forces across the country, who continue to focus on keg and cask theft in the course of their metal theft investigations.

“Keg theft is a serious problem for our industry. We will continue to work in close partnership with the police, other law enforcement and commercial partners to put a stop to it.”