Keep out, judge tells romanians as gang is jailed for 82 years

In a fierce broadside, Judge Timothy Pontius said the UK was no “soft touch” and insisted courts will come down heavily on “imported” crooks. The warning came as the judge jailed for more

than 80 years a gang of Rom­anian armed robbers who stole gold worth over £1million in a series of raids on jewellery shops. He said they came to the UK with the clear intent to commit crime

and promised they would be deported at the end of their sentences. His hardline stance was widely backed last night amid mounting fears that foreign crime networks plan to invade the UK

when visa rules are relaxed next year. Tens of thousands of Romanians and Bulgarians are expected to flood into Britain from next January thanks to the EU’s freedom of movement laws. The

judge said: “There has been recent comment in the press and elsewhere suggesting that next year will bring a large influx of migrants from eastern Europe. Anyone who comes to the UK intent

to commit serious crime must clearly understand that any such abuse of the hospitality of this country and its people will be severely punished. “That is a warning which must firmly be

emphasised by our courts and clearly understood by those with such intent. No one should think for a moment that the courts of the UK will be a soft touch. “Hence sentences in a case such as

this should serve as a powerful and effective deterrent, not just to home-grown but also to imported criminals.” He added: “None of the defendants appear to have done an honest day’s work

while they were here. All will be deported and rightly so.” The judge delivered his warning at the Old Bailey yesterday as he jailed the 10-strong gang for a total of 82 years and 10 months.

Only a fraction of their haul has been recovered, leaving the robbers with £1million. Tory MP Philip Davies backed the judge but warned all courts must be united in dishing out tough

punishments. “Good on him. I certainly agree with his sentiment that there should be a much tougher approach to sentencing,” he said. “But I have my doubts that some of Judge Pontius’s

colleagues share the same view.” MEP Gerard Batten, Ukip’s justice spokesman, also welcomed the judge’s hardline approach. “These are sterling words and are to be applauded,” he said. “But

it is just a tip of the iceberg of crime and he and British justice are condemned to being unable to deport these people, nor are we able to stop them returning due to our membership of the

European Union. And with the relaxing of controls on Bulgarians and Romanians in the new year this is set to get worse.” Official census figures show that 120,000 have already moved here

despite not yet being allowed to work freely in this country. The Daily Express revealed last month how Britain has been hit by a Romanian crimewave with the equivalent of 15 arrests a day

in London alone. The Old Bailey heard that the Romanian jewellery robbers carried out a string of robberies at jewellery shops in north and east London between March and September last year.

The gang first struck in Wembley. Days later they raided a shop in Ilford, Essex, and struck again in East Ham. After a Flying Squad operation, the robbers were ambushed as they raided

another London jewellers. One of the thieves tried to make a joke of his capture and quipped: “I don’t care. I go to prison to go on holiday.” The Romanians admitted conspiracy to rob at an

earlier hearing. Jonathan Polnay, prosecuting, said: “These were not people who had come here for work and got diverted. This is a professional gang who came here to rob.” Iulian Roman, 21,

was jailed for nine years and six months. Marius Barbu, 25, Vasile Batarga, 23, Ioan Gavrilit, 26, and Iulian Culba, 22, were each jailed for nine years and four months. Constantin Irina,

30, was sentenced to eight years, Puiu-Danut Paunescu, 26, to seven years and three months, Ovidiu Gabor, 25, and Gheorghe Macovei, 23, to seven years each and Catalin Paise, 19, to six

years and nine months.