In an unfortunate tale of deceit, a couple from Bromley, Ashley Singh, 39, and Sophie Bruyea, 20, orchestrated a lavish lifestyle by stealing bank and SIM cards from gym lockers. The couple targeted 18 victims over a year, maxing out credit cards stolen from changing room lockers, reported Metro.
Their spending spree included splurges on expensive tech and designer gear, later sold to fund purchases such as bags, shoes, holidays, and even a pedigree puppy, according to the Metropolitan Police. While Singh and Bruyea reveled in luxury, their victims faced financial loss, stress, and the inconvenience of drained accounts and unusable phones.
The couple’s criminal enterprise came to a halt when a local officer identified a pattern in the thefts and alerted detectives specializing in economic crime. A dedicated team in Lewisham used phone tracking, CCTV footage, and vehicle details to link the couple to each crime.
Singh and Bruyea were apprehended on January 27 at Gatwick Airport upon their return from Paris, carrying 2,000 Euros worth of designer goods. The Met police disclosed that a total of 18 people fell victim to what the sentencing judge termed a “wicked conspiracy.”
During the sentencing at Croydon Crown Court on January 10, the judge emphasized the wide-ranging impact of the couple’s spree, leading to instances where victims felt unsafe and suffered professionally due to stress. Singh received a three-year prison sentence, while Bruyea was sentenced to 20 months at a young offenders’ institute, suspended for two years, along with rehabilitation and 120 hours of unpaid work.
The Metropolitan Police aims to forfeit the proceeds of their crimes to compensate the victims and send a strong message against such criminal activities. The case serves as a reminder of the significant impact that seemingly isolated criminal acts can have on individuals and the importance of taking swift and decisive action to address such offenses.