Coventry woman who travelled 200 miles to burgle homes was 'caught holding stolen Louis Vuitton bag'

A Coventry woman who was part of a gang that stole high-value items from homes has been jailed. Miriam Avramoaie travelled nearly 200 miles to carry out the burglaries and stole jewellery, binoculars, and a Louis Vuitton bag.

Over a six-day period, the five-strong group targeted homes in Carlisle, Hayton, and Bothel in Cumbria. Police said the burglary spree happened between May 29 and June 4, 2023.

Officers were alerted to a burglary on June 4 after three men forced their way into an address on Longlands Road in Carlisle. Afterwards, the men fled the scene via Rickerby Park.

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CCTV from the property showed the three men entering the garden and breaking into the property through a window before they were disturbed. After stealing a number of high-value items, the group were seen running out of the property, Cumbria Police said.

Detectives said that after the incident, the victim told them they had been followed home earlier that week by a VW Golf. Investigations were carried out, and the vehicle was found to have been in Carlisle at the time of the incident along with a Toyota Yaris.

Police stopped the VW Golf in Lancashire in the early hours of June 5. It was being driven by 39-year-old Ion Baban, who was accompanied by 27-year-old Coventry woman Avramoaie.

She was holding a wallet, jewellery, and a Louis Vuitton bag. Officers also found a beige cap that matched one seen on CCTV at the property that had been burgled.

Also found in the VW Golf was a suitcase containing a number of items, including vintage cameras, binoculars, ornamental knives, an ornamental gun, and antique maps, Cumbria Police said.

Detectives also tracked down the Toyota Yaris. CCTV showed three people leaving the vehicle, and they were arrested at a nearby hotel, Cumbria Police said.

Items found in the hotel room included bank cards in the victims' names and other items taken from the homes that had been burgled. Goods found in the VW Golf were connected to burglaries on Park Road Estate in Bothel between May 29 and June 1 and in Hayton on June 1.

Ion Baban, of Spring Gardens, Shrewsbury, was jailed for two years and four months at Carlisle Crown Court. Miriam Avramoaie, of Clay Lane, Coventry, was sentenced to 17 months in jail.

Antonio Baja was jailed for three years and two months, Ioam Iovi, from London, will spend two years and eight months in prison, and Florina Manole was sentenced to 17 months in jail at Carlisle Crown Court on Wednesday (November 20).

PC Joseph Tidmarsh said: “Being a victim of burglary can be incredibly traumatic, and we are committed to working with communities to bring offenders to justice. You can report suspicious persons or activity by calling 101 or if a crime is occurring on 999.”

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