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05 Sept 2025
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05 Sept 2025
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Derry Magistrates Court
A man and a woman have been given suspended sentences at Derry Magistrate's Court today after they admitted the theft of a St Vincent de Paul charity box from a local Chapel.
Romanian nationals Florea Manolescu (42) and Mariana Zamfir (40) both with addresses at Lawrence Hill in Derry appeared charged with one count of theft on April 25.
The court heard that police were informed by a priest at St Patrick's Church in Pennyburn of the theft of money from a St Vincent de Paul charity box at around 4.30pm.
CCTV showed a man and a woman being involved and they let in a BMW vehicle.
At 9.30pm police discovered the vehicle parked in Lawrence Hill and the male defendant appeared and said it was his vehicle.
The female defendant was found inside the address and a sum of money was found.
The court heard that there was £430, one hundred dollars and one hundred euros.
After being arrested both defendants admitted it was them on the CCTV.
Manolescu was seen on CCTV using a probe like implement presumably to get money from the charity box.
Zamfir said her husband took an envelope from the charity box but did not share it with her.
Defence solicitor Seamus Quigley said that neither of the accused had any record in this jurisdiction.
He said they had come to this country to visit relatives and intended returning next week depending on the court.
The solicitor said that it was 'an extremely serious case of theft from a well known charity that deals with the poorest in society.'
He said that the role of the female was 'the lesser role' and it appeared she was acting as a look out for her husband.
Mr Quigley said 'there is very little I can say in relation to the offence.'
District Judge Barney McElholm has said that with the number of tourists in the city the euros and dollars could well have been donations.
He ruled that all the seized money be given to St Vincent de Paul.
Manolescu was sentenced to 6 months in prison suspended for two years and Zamfir was sentenced to 3 months in prison suspended for two years.
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