A couple who flaunted a lavish lifestyle stole £250k to fund holidays and expensive tech.
Ashley Singh, 39 and Sophie Bruyea, 20 would visit gyms and while victims were exercising, Singh would go through their lockers.
The pair would then max out their victims’ credit cards on expensive tech and designer gear, before selling them on and using the cash to buy bags, shoes, holidays, and a pedigree puppy.
They have now been sentenced at court after Metropolitan Police officers linked them to the thefts.
Ashley Singh, 39, and Sophie Bruyea, 20, were arrested at Gatwick Airport
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DC Luis Da Silva, from the Met’s economic crime team that investigated this case, said: “We know Londoners are worried about theft.
“It’s a horrible crime, and it causes a lot of stress, pain, and financial loss. That’s why we take this crime seriously and a whole team of us were committed to catching Singh and Bruyea.
“You couldn’t fail to be moved by the devastating impact their callous behaviour had on people, and we hope that by catching them this offers victims a little bit of solace.
“I would urge anyone who has had something stolen to get in touch, because we do want to drive down this crime and go after those who target the public.
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The pair were sentenced at Croydon Crown Court
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“We will now look to forfeit the proceeds of their crimes to try and help compensate those who went through this.”
Their crimes was noticed by a local officer, who realised there was a pattern and flagged it to detectives who are experts in economic crime.
The pair were arrested at Gatwick Airport on January 27, 2023, as they returned from Paris with €2,000 worth of designer goods.
There were 18 fraud reports in total, with 14 in the Met area, one from Sussex, one from Hertfordshire and two reports from Cambridgeshire.
The judge described the impact the pair’s “wide-ranging spree” had had on people, including instances where people no longer felt safe around strangers, or had suffered professionally due to the stress, describing their acts as a “wicked conspiracy”.
The pair, of Widmore Road, Bromley, were sentenced at Croydon Crown Court on January 10 to conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation between January 2022 and January 2023 with a total value of £250,000.
Singh was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment.
Bruyea was sentenced to 20 months at a young offenders’ institute, suspended for two years, a rehabilitation programme and 120 hours unpaid work.
