Three men have been convicted for a robbery at a mobile phone shop in The Forum Shopping Centre in Sittingbourne, Kent, where they stole more than £50,000 worth of devices. The conviction, announced on 11 March 2026, follows an incident on 17 October 2024 where staff were threatened and forced to open a secure safe.
During the robbery, the group took a large number of electrical items before escaping in a waiting vehicle. Staff members were able to track one of the stolen phones to Gillingham Park, which is located about 11 miles away from the store.
According to Kent Police, officers found the suspects and the stolen goods at the park shortly after the crime took place. Ionut Calin, 23, of Milton Road in Gillingham, admitted to the offence and was jailed for two years and three months at Maidstone Crown Court on 9 March 2026.
The other two men, 19-year-old Dobre Vasile-Iosif of Harrow Road in London and 25-year-old Valentin Ciuraru of Central Park Road in London, were found guilty in their absence after failing to attend court. Warrants have now been issued for their arrest. The case highlights ongoing work to protect businesses in the town centre, which is now owned by Vanguard Properties UK Ltd.
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