Teenager sentenced for phone snatching

A 16-year-old, who can’t be named for legal reasons, has been electronically tagged after pleading guilty to phone snatching.

On Sunday 25 February a mother was taking pictures of her daughter in Goring Street in the City. The teenager, riding a bicycle, rode up from behind and snatched the phone from the mother’s hand.

The teenager came to the attention of Metropolitan Police officers in Bethnal Green when he attempted to steal property. Officers stopped him and noticed he had thrown a phone. He was placed under arrest and the phone brought back to the police station.

The daughter set up an old iPhone to track the stolen phone and found it was located at Bethnal Green Police Station and arranged to pick it up. It was severely damaged due to it being thrown by the phone snatcher.

The juvenile pleaded guilty phone theft at Stratford Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 21 May. He was electronically tagged and imposed a curfew to remain at his home for four months between 7pm and 7am. He is excluded from entering the City of London, Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea and Islington. The teenager’s parents or guardian also must pay £1,000 compensation to the victim.

PC Monika Furmanska, from the City of London Police said:

“If you commit phone snatching in the City, you can expect to receive a robust response and expect the crime to be caught on our extensive network of cameras. In this instance it wasn’t possible for the victims to receive their phone back in the condition it was stolen, but we’re pleased to see the court award compensation for the phone’s worth.

“We’d urge members of the public to be aware of their surroundings when using mobile phones on the streets. If you use your phone, stand away from the curb and where possible have your back against a wall or shop front.”