'Partners in crime' took champagne but left the prosecco

Cousins attempted to steal a trolley full of champagne in Cork City  “but left the prosecco” .

“Partners in crime” attempted to steal a trolley full of champagne in Cork City on Valentine’s Day “but left the prosecco” in a theft spree across the country.

Cousins Razvan Ciobanu, aged 27, and Claudiu Raducan, aged 25, were visiting Midleton, Co Cork from their home in Blanchardstown, Dublin.

They attempted to take €840 of champagne from Tesco in Market Green, Midleton, throwing a blanket over the alcohol, Midleton District Court has heard.

However, when they were intercepted by staff, they fled the store.

“They left the prosecco behind and went for the champagne,” solicitor Joseph Cuddigan said. The pair had been “engaged in a multitude of thefts around the country,” Judge Colm Roberts said.

The court heard how at that time, similar high-value alcohol thefts had occurred throughout the country.

The cousins arrived in Ireland in January from Romania and were charged with eight counts of alcohol theft each between January and March in Co Galway and Co Wexford.

They were sentenced to 10 months in prison for theft in Galway and another 10 months for theft in Wexford.

“They would have been partners in crime in all the offences,” Mr Cuddigan said.

The court heard that some of the sentences were to run concurrently so they were currently serving 14 months in jail each.

In light of an early guilty plea and the pair’s co-operation with gardaí, Mr Cuddigan asked Judge Colm Roberts to backdate any sentence to March 8 when they t went into custody.

“They committed an offence, then a further offence, then a further offence,” Judge Roberts said, noting that repeat offending had to have consequences.

“I take into account that they are from a different part of the world and that they had two 10 months sentences,” he said.

Judge Roberts said he would “give them a break” and not impose further consecutive sentencing.

He did convict both and sentenced them to 11 months in jail, which could run concurrently from today’s date with their 14 month sentence, which would effectively extend that original term slightly.

“But if they stay in the country and don’t change their ways, they’ll be in prison for a long time,” Judge Roberts warned.

Mr Cuddigan said that the pair plan to appeal the conviction.