A Heathrow baggage handler has been handed a suspended sentence after admitting to stealing jewellery, handbags, and other valuables worth £29,000.
Priti Sthankiya, 46, from Hatton Road, Wembley, confessed to rifling through a bag left behind at a baggage collection area. The items she took included jewellery, watches, makeup, designer handbags, a purse containing £500, Ray-Ban sunglasses, and a diamond ring worth £3,000.
Sthankiya, who had been employed at Heathrow for eight years, was apprehended after being captured on CCTV. Most of the stolen items were recovered from her home or locker.
During her sentencing at the Old Bailey, Sthankiya received a one-year suspended sentence from Judge Ian Shern KC.
The incident unfolded when a woman flying from Mauritius to Heathrow Airport inadvertently left behind some hand luggage containing valuable items. Upon realizing her oversight, she reported the missing bag to the police.
CCTV footage revealed Sthankiya wheeling the missing bag into a secure area before pilfering its contents. Despite extensive searches, some items, including the purse, £500, Ray-Ban sunglasses, and the diamond ring, were never recovered.
In her defence, Sthankiya attributed her actions to the stress and emotional turmoil stemming from a difficult divorce and personal issues. Her legal representative, Jonathan Whitley, emphasized that the theft was an impulsive act driven by overwhelming stress.
While acknowledging the seriousness of the offence, Whitley appealed to Judge Shern to suspend the custodial sentence, citing Sthankiya’s remorse and the isolated nature of the incident.
Sthankiya, who was employed by a baggage handling company rather than directly by Heathrow Airport, was dismissed from her position upon the discovery of her wrongdoing.
In delivering the sentence, Judge Shern imposed a one-year custodial sentence, suspended for one year, providing Sthankiya with the opportunity to avoid imprisonment unless she reoffended.
