The great chocolate heist: Two men jailed for attempting to steal £3,000 of chocolate and coffee

Remus Durac and Virgil Gocea received prison sentences after trying to steal chocolate and coffee worth more than £3,000 from a Warren Heath supermarket in Ipswich.

Virgil Gocea and Remus Durac
Virgil Gocea and Remus Durac

The details: Police were called on 7 July after at least three men and two women were spotted stealing items from the Ipswich supermarket.

  • The group attempted to flee but security staff detained Durac and Gocea before officers arrived to arrest them.
  • Both men were taken to Martlesham Police Investigation Centre for questioning and subsequently charged.

What happened next: Durac, 22, of no-fixed abode, and Gocea, 22, of Strone Road, London, appeared at Ipswich Magistrates' Court on Wednesday 9 July.

Both pleaded guilty to theft from shop.

By the numbers:

  • Durac: 10-week prison sentence
  • Gocea: 14-week prison sentence
  • Both ordered to pay £239 in costs

The bottom line: Quick action by security staff and police prevented a significant loss to the retailer and ensured the perpetrators faced immediate consequences through the justice system.

This article cost us ~£10 to produce

It's free for you to read thanks to the generous support of our partners.

Below the line