Cousins sentenced after £20k Vodafone shop robbery

Police said Becam (left) and Emanuel Radu displayed "brazen thievery".

A pair of cousins have been sentenced to time in a young offenders institution after threatening violence and stealing £20,000 worth of mobile phones.

Emanuel Radu, 19, of Nash Road, Edmonton and Becam Radu, 21, of Orchard Road, Enfield, will both spend more than two years in institutions after appearing at Swindon Crown Court.

On 12 December 2024, they stormed a branch of Vodafone in Marlborough wearing balaclavas, threatened staff and stole the shop's entire stock before being arrested 20 minutes later driving away.

One shop worker said: "The incident has not left me almost three months on."

The incident happened on 12 December 2024 at Marlborough's Vodafone shop.

"I have been in some situations which have scared me in the past but that was the scariest thing that has ever happened to me in my whole 22 years of life.

"The behaviour of these two individuals is absolutely disgraceful" he added.

When they stormed the High Street shop, they stole several dummy phones along with the stock - which were equipped with tracking devices.

Police were able to arrest them on the A338 near Hungerford, 20 minutes after the robbery was reported.

Both were arrested on suspicion of robbery and Emanuel Radu was further arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving.

Det Con Michael Land, from Wiltshire's Criminal Investigation Department, described at as "brazen thievery".

"I would like to commend all the victims and witnesses who were involved in this traumatic experience, particularly the shop workers whose quick thinking protected their customers and enabled us to swiftly apprehend both men," he added.

On Friday, Emanuel Radu was sentenced to two years and 10 months in a young offenders institution.

Becam Radu was sentenced to 28 months in a young offender institution.