Repeat thief to be deported

A serial thief who is currently serving more than four years in prison has been convicted of further offences and told she will be deported.

Jane Kariuki, 48, targeted women in Peterborough city centre to steal purses and use their bank cards.

On 23 May last year, Kariuki was caught on CCTV taking a woman’s purse from a table in Costa Coffee, Long Causeway.

A week later, she entered British Heart Foundation, in Bridge Street, and stole another purse from a shopper before using one of the stolen bank cards to spend a total of £106.48 at various convenience stores later that day.

On 18 June, Kariuki sat on a table behind her next victim in 2020 World Buffet, New Road, and slid the woman’s handbag towards her before stealing a purse.

Later the same month she was caught on CCTV using a stolen bank card to spend £100.95 at a tobacconist desk in Waitrose, Mayor’s Walk.

Kariuki, formerly of Toftland, Bretton, Peterborough, appeared at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court on Friday (2 May) where she was sentenced to eight months in prison after pleading guilty to three counts of theft from a person and two counts of fraud by false representation.

The sentence will be served alongside a four-year-and-three-month prison term she was given on 6 March after she admitted seven counts of theft, four counts of fraud by false representation and failing to answer bail.

PC James Cullimore, from Peterborough’s city centre Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “Kariuki is a brazen and prolific thief who had been targeting women within the city centre.

“Her sentence shows how seriously these offences are taken and, upon her completing her time in prison, she will be deported.”

Advice on how to best protect yourself from thieves can be found on our dedicated personal safety information webpages.