More than 70 bottles of wine and champagne were concealed in the bin by the tuk-tuk driver during his spree
Iuliu Kubola, 61, stole £31,000 of fine wine and champagne from high-end restaurants during his spree, but avoided jail after he returned some of the missing stash.
The thief admitted to six burglaries at three eateries in Mayfair, Belgravia and the City of London, and was handed 20 months in custody suspended for two years.
Kubola, of Richie Street, Islington, was captured on CCTV breaking into a restaurant on Threadneedle Street, before making off with 73 bottles on a tuk-tuk.
Previously, Judge Mark Lucraft KC had put off sentencing and given Kubola two weeks to “make good” on his promise to help police recover some of the stolen wine.
Sentencing on Monday, Judge Lucraft told the court: “To cut a lengthy story short, some wine has been recovered and there are a total of 32 unopened bottles of wine, they are valued at approximately £6,687.”
He said the defendant’s efforts to assist police had demonstrated his remorse and the recovery process would continue.
However, the judge noted “significant loss and damage” had been caused at Piazza Italiana where 73 bottles were snatched during one raid.
Previously, the court heard that some of the wine was found on Kubola when he was arrested riding a pedicab in the City of London in June.
He then returned to the scene of the crime days later on June 15, where he stole a further three bottles of wine worth around £680.
A third visit to the restaurant on Thursday 19 June saw the thief leave empty-handed.
Kubola was eventually arrested in the early hours of June 22 after an officer recognised the 61-year-old as a person of interest in relation to a spate of burglaries – including those at the restaurant.
PC Jordan Felstead apprehended the Islington resident outside a bar in Cornhill, located in the financial heartlands of the City of London.
CCTV footage of the incident shows Kubola browsing the wine racks before taking the bottles and placing them into wheelie bins.
He's then seen to load the bin into the back of his pedicab before making off.
As part of the incident, Kubola also caused £1,000 of damage to the building's external door and locks.
Kubola later pleaded guilty to three counts of burglary over the thefts.
Detective Constable Marcus Fairclough, in the Criminal Investigation Department of the City of London Police, said:
“Thanks to the good work by our officers, who spotted him and quickly made enquiries and the arrest, Iuliu Kubola will face the consequences of his criminality.
“Burglary has a significant impact on businesses and residential communities."
In mitigation, Daisy Kell-Jones said the defendant had a drink problem and had previously worked at Oliveto and Piazza Italiana restaurants.
She told the court: “He was effectively not paid and he made the reckless and stupid decision, rather than confronting the owners of these restaurants and asking for his salary, effectively decided to go in and take the salary for himself.“
Mr Kubola recognises he should not have done what he did and recognises the loss caused to those two restaurants, and wants to pay them back somehow.”
“We will attend all reports of break-ins in the City; giving us the best chance of making an arrest and collecting evidence from a scene.
“We will always take this type of criminality seriously and thoroughly investigate all evidential leads, including forensics, to bring those perpetrators to justice.”
City of London Police are one of a handful of forces that don't screen out ‘low level’ crimes, with scenes of crimes officers attending every incident where forensics can be recovered.
