Ritz phone thief gets banned from leaving home at night

Police found over £4,500 worth of phones in Constantin Muntean’s Audi A4 when it was searched outside the Ritz.

He has now received a curfew meaning he cannot leave the house from 9pm until 6am.

The culprit was caught with five mobile phones in his pocket after multiple women complained of their phones going missing in the Ritz on 24 October 2015.

An officer at the scene found five phones and the keys to an Audi in the thief’s pockets, he then proceeded to search the area for a matching car.

He soon found Muntean’s Audi A4, containing another six phones in a black bag hidden under the seat. It was later proven Muntean stole these from the same venue earlier on that evening. All of the phones were returned to the victims.

One of the victims said: “I’m a student in my first year at Manchester University and feel that I have been targeted. I’m away from home for the first time, my phone is my lifeline back home to contact family and friends.” All of the victims were thought to be female students.

At his hearing, Muntean claimed that his family would be left destitute if he were locked up.

Despite the fact he has two previous convictions for similar offences, the 28 year old was spared jail after admitting to 11 thefts at Manchester Crown Court.

Instead Muntean was given a curfew, which bans him from being out of the house between the hours of 9pm and 6am for the next six months.