Two Romanian nationals, Danut Lazar and Cornel Alexandrescu, have been sentenced to prison for a coordinated burglary targeting a jewelry store and a tattoo parlor in Blyth, Northumberland. The pair, along with an unidentified accomplice, stole nearly £45,000 worth of jewels and stock in the incident.
The Heist
The thieves gained access to the Lev-Ink tattoo parlor by scaling a fence and breaking into its back yard. Once inside, they created a hole in the adjoining wall to access V&N Jewellers. Eerie CCTV footage captured the moment a display cabinet was moved, revealing one of the burglars emerging from the newly made opening. Another raider, armed with a crowbar and a torch, proceeded to break open display cabinets and stuff jewels into carrier bags.
Investigation and Arrest
The burglars managed to distort the tattoo shop's CCTV cameras to avoid detection. After the heist, one of the men reportedly took a ferry from Dover out of the UK. Lazar, 50, and Alexandrescu, 48, were arrested a month later upon their arrival on a flight to Luton.
Sentencing
Both men pleaded guilty to two charges of burglary. Lazar was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison, while Alexandrescu received a two-year sentence. The court heard that the men had stayed in Durham and conducted reconnaissance trips in the days leading up to the burglary. Judge Robert Adams described the incident as a "well organised attack on the two premises," noting that the men had targeted vulnerable locations in the North East of England with the specific purpose of committing burglary. The judge stated that the two Romanians would serve less than half their time in custody, with the expectation that they would be held until their deportation, which he added should be automatic given the length of the sentences.