Prison for persistent cable thief – Hertfordshire / Bedfordshire

A prolific thief who continued to steal cable from the railway while on bail for the same offence has been jailed for two years.

Iulian Iacob, 36, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to multiple counts of theft of railway cabling, two counts of handling stolen goods and multiple counts of going equipped for theft.

He was sentenced to two years in prison on Wednesday 17 June at Luton Crown Court.

The court heard how Iacob was first arrested on 30 July last year when he was caught with railway cable and a backpack full of tools in Millbrook, Bedfordshire. Police were called to an incident of cable theft in progress and when an officer arrived at the scene, he spotted Iacob who matched the description of the offender.

He attempted to flee from police on his bike but was immediately apprehended and arrested.

He was bailed and then arrested again on 28 October, while on bail for the first offence, after a resident saw him climbing a fence at the rear of a property in Flitwick that leads onto the railway.

Police were called and he was found in the undergrowth stripping electrical cable and putting the copper inside a rucksack.

While failing to answer police bail for these two arrests he then continued to steal cable, with DNA evidence from a drinks bottle and a lighter linking him to two separate incidents in Harpenden.

In March this year he was spotted by a dog walker behaving suspiciously close to the railway in Harpenden.

The same dog walker spotted Iacob again on 2 April and called police after she saw him starting a fire and stealing cable from the railway at Harpenden Oval.

He was again arrested after being found covered in soot with bags filled with copper piping and cabling and admitted planning to sell it onto a scrap dealer. He was remanded in custody and charged for court.

Investigating officer PC David Sheldrick said: “Iacob has been a persistent nuisance to the railway. Despite already being caught in the act twice and arrested, this did little to deter him from re offending and stealing more copper and cable from the railway.

“Cable theft is a dangerous, costly and disruptive crime that simply will not be tolerated.

“The cost incurred to the railway due to Iacob’s persistent offending is passed onto you and me and everyone who uses the rail network.

“Thanks to the report from the vigilant dog walker Jacob was arrested for the final time and put before the courts.

“If you see anything suspicious on the railway, please call us on 0800 40 50 40 or text us discreetly on 61016.”

Danny Matthews. operations director for Network Rail East Midlands Route, said: “Cable theft is not a victimless crime. It puts offenders at serious risk of injury and can cause significant disruption for our passengers and freight customers, while costing thousands of pounds to repair the damage caused.

“This individual repeatedly targeted the railway despite previous arrests, so I welcome this sentence and the close partnership working between Network Rail and British Transport Police that helped bring him before the courts.

“We're committed to tackling cable theft across our route and would encourage anyone who sees suspicious activity on or near the railway to report it immediately. Information from members of the public is often vital in helping us catch offenders and keep the railway safe and reliable for everyone.”