Thief grabbed £30,000 iPod haul (From Witney Gazette)

Thief grabbed £30,000 iPod haul

6:56pm Monday 14th July 2008 in Witney

A thief who stole almost £30,000 of iPods from an electronics store in Witney was today jailed for six months.

Oxford Crown Court heard Robert Scott, 32, lifted an entire glass display cabinet out of the Currys.digital store before hauling it into a waiting van and driving off on December 4 last year.

Clare Tucker, prosecuting, said the cabinet contained 260 iPods worth £29,700.

She said: "It was noticed by a new member of staff who had only started that day. He saw two men walk out of the shop with a large red box.

"Staff went to investigate and found a glass display unit containing several iPods had been removed from the shop. They saw the men getting into a van. They decided not to approach it, but made a note of the registration number in their heads.

"It is quite extraordinary really that there was no alarm to alert staff."

She said the iPods had never been found and a financial investigation would take place to see if any costs could be recovered from Scott.

Scott, of Talbot Road, Southsea, Hampshire, admitted one count of theft.

Rebecca Lee, defending, said: "The fact that it was so brazen and so foolish suggests that there was no real thought about how to commit this crime."

Judge Christopher Compston said: "Although it was £30,000 of goods, you had not got a clue it was that much, although you knew it was valuable."