Scrap raiders caught with pipes in a van

Two offenders were caught in Darley Dale after they admitted being connected to a scrap metal raid.
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Chesterfield magistrates’ court heard this month how Ionut Plop and Marius Luca were stopped by police who discovered barrels and stolen pipe work in their van.

Angela Hadfield, prosecuting, said: “The offenders vehicle was stopped by police at Darley Dale driving from Matlock. The defendants said they had been to Derby for sex and had stopped to urinate. When the driver opened the rear of the van barrels and pipe work were found.”

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Plop pleaded guilty to going equipped to commit an offence with barrels and a hosepipe and to stealing metal pipe work. Luca pleaded guilty to stealing pipe work after both offenders were stopped in May.

Julie Page, defending, said: “Police don’t have any idea where the piping came from. Both defendants say they were driving from Derby and say they came across a derelict building and saw piping and thought they could scrap it in. Plop explained he has a friend who travels from Europe and delivers fuel and he asked if Plop wanted to buy fuel at a cut down price. Plop had property in his van to facilitate that.”

Both offenders, of Idsworth Road, Sheffield, have been in the country from Romania for about a year. Plop was sentenced to a 12 month community order with 100 hours’ unpaid work and must pay a £60 victim surcharge and £85 costs. Luca was fined £75 and ordered to pay a £20 victim surcharge and £85 costs.