Ex-Restaurant Worker Nabbed for £30k Wine Heist Spree Across London
Iuliu Kubola, 61, is facing jail after confessing to nicking thousands of pounds worth of posh wine from top London eateries. The former restaurant hand was caught red-handed loading stolen vino into his pedal-powered tuk-tuk in the City of London.
Caught Cycling Away with Stolen Booze
Judge Mark Lucraft KC has paused sentencing at the Old Bailey to give Kubola a shot at helping police recover the missing bottles. During his arrest in June, officers found some of the stolen wine on him as he pedalled through the streets on his pedicab.
When asked why he pinched the wine, Kubola coolly replied: “The wine is to drink, no?”
Six Burglaries Rack Up £30k in Damage and Theft
- May 1: Broke into Mayfair’s Comptoir Cafe and Wine, swiping £6,000 worth of wine and £200 in cash.
- Hit Oliveto and Olivo in Belgravia twice, stealing more bottles and cash.
- Three break-ins at Piazza Italiana on Threadneedle Street left doors wrecked with £1,425 in repair costs.
- On one occasion, Kubola cycled away in a wheelie bin stuffed with nearly £24,000 of stolen wine.
CCTV even caught him sneaking back days later to pinch more bottles and cash.
From Underpaid Worker to Wine-Thief: A Reckless Gamble
Kubola, from Islington, used to work at some of the very spots he burgled but claims he was short-changed on pay. His lawyer Daisy Kell-Jones said his actions were “reckless and stupid” but he wants to repay his former employers.
“He made the reckless and stupid decision, rather than confronting the owners of these restaurants and asking for his salary, effectively decided to go in and take the salary for himself.”
Kubola has a history of shoplifting and driving offences. The judge gave him a stern warning: if the stolen wine isn’t recovered by November, he’ll be behind bars without hesitation.
Kubola remains in custody as police track down the hoard, reportedly stashed at a wine merchant near Aldgate.
