Criminal who had only been in UK for two months jailed for Ipswich home break-ins

Romanian burglar Toader Articuci (Image: Archant)

Toader Articuci, of Ranelagh Road, Ipswich, was sentenced to two years in jail by Ipswich Crown Court after being found guilty of burglary and burglary with intent to steal at properties in Chantry.

It emerged at his sentencing that the 30-year-old has convictions for robbery and dishonesty in his homeland,

He is the latest of more than a dozen foreign criminals – including rapists and robbers, to commit offences after arriving in Suffolk without law enforcement agencies being aware of their criminal history.

Articuci had denied burgling a house in Greenfinch Avenue on August 8 last year, and burglary with intent to steal at a house in Robin Drive on the same date.

The break-in at Greenfinch Avenue took place at around 12.30am.

Articuci took keys to a hire van and a mountain bike.

Four hours later he was foiled in an attempt to burgle a home in Robin Drive.

The occupant was asleep but was awoken by her dog Polly and then heard a bang.

When the householder when to the back bedroom she saw the window open and a jewellery box and her son’s trainers on the bed.

Police were called and an officer routinely stopped Articuci in Kingfisher Drive as he was cycling on the stolen mountain bike.

He was found to have keys on him to a hire van. These were traced back to the address in Greenfinch Avenue.

A footprint was also left in the upstairs bedroom in Robin Drive which matched the shoes Articuci was wearing.

Jailing Articuci, Judge Martyn Levett said the Romanian had previous convictions in his homeland for offences including dishonesty when he was a teenager and robbery when he was 25.

The court also heard at the time of the burglaries Articuci had accommodation and was earning £200 a week.

Judge Levett added the burglaries had caused “profound distress” for the householders who had been asleep in bed at the time of the break-ins.

Since the beginning of 2012 at least 13 European Union nationals with criminal records in their own countries have appeared before Suffolk courts.

Due to freedom of movement and there being no universal system linking criminal records in EU countries their previous offences were only discovered following their arrest by Suffolk police.

Politicians and Suffolk Police and Crime Commissioner Tim Passmore have been actively calling for a universal system at ports and airports which would highlight when a foreign criminal arrives in the UK.