Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Ludgate Hill Phone Thief Jailed for 15 Months

DNA from a trainer left at the scene identified repeat offender Spencer Duarte.

Overview

  • Judge Freya Newberry handed down the sentence at Inner London Crown Court following Duarte’s guilty plea to theft.
  • Members of the public knocked the e‑bike rider off his bike, causing him to drop the stolen phone and a rucksack containing face coverings and kitchen foil.
  • City of London Police forensics obtained a single major DNA profile from the shoe and matched it on the national database, leading to his September 9, 2024 arrest.
  • The victim, Brian de Clare, a former climate adviser to Bill Clinton, told the court the daylight snatch left him anxious about returning to the City.
  • Police said targeted patrols, extensive CCTV and investigative work will continue to pursue mobile phone thieves and bring offenders to justice.