Dad 'made stupidest mistake of his whole life' at amazon warehouse

HE WAS CAUGHT OUT JUST AFTER FINISHING HIS SHIFT 04:00, 22 May 2025 A thieving Amazon warehouse employee's "stupid mistake" was revealed when he attempted to leave work with

18 iPhones hidden inside his jacket. Rada-Emilian Ispas set off metal detectors at the site after finishing his shift, leading to police discovering baskets filled with dozens more stolen

electronic devices at his home address. These goods, which had been cynically pinched over the course of around a year, were valued at a total of nearly £85,000. The dad was said to have

resorted to such crimes following the passing of his baby son and due to mounting financial pressures, with his partner having fallen pregnant with twins. Liverpool Crown Court heard

yesterday, Wednesday, that Ispas began working at the Amazon warehouse in Haydock on March 1 2021. However, the 36-year-old was said to have started stealing from his employee "not long

after the death of his child" in the summer of 2022. Christopher Taylor, prosecuting, described how his crimes were discovered after he finished his shift at around 2.45am on July 12

2023. Ispas, of Buttermere Crescent in Orford, Warrington, set off a metal detector upon leaving the site on this date. While he claimed to only have his personal mobile phone on him,

security guards then discovered a total of 18 iPhones hidden inside his jacket. Managers then examined his work station and found packaging from such phones, as well as Apple Watches and

AirPods, discarded nearby. Merseyside Police subsequently attended Ispas' home on July 17 and seized a further 87 Samsung mobiles and iPhones, many of which had been stashed in baskets

located around the address. Officers also recovered nine watches, 18 Apple Watches and straps and 20 Apple chargers which had been taken from his workplace. The goods found in his house were

said to have been worth a total of £77,537, with the devices found on his person at the warehouse being valued at £7,405. Ispas has no previous convictions. Adam White, defending, told the

court that his client had since gained new employment working night shifts at a warehouse in Runcorn via an agency, adding: "Mr Ispas is someone who is thoroughly ashamed of himself.

"The way that he puts it, bluntly, is that this was the stupidest mistake he has ever made in his whole life and something which he very deeply regrets. He readily accepts that it was

going on for some months prior to him being caught. "Your honour has noted the tragic loss of their baby boy in the summer of 2022. Obviously this has had a very profound effect on him

and his wife, and that continues to this day. "They found out at the back end of the year, in November that year, that his wife was pregnant again with twins, who have since been born.

She was told that she would not be eligible for full maternity pay. "There was a great deal of stress about money and how they were going to cope. That was the sole motivation for this

offending, not to enjoy a lavish lifestyle but in the hope that he would be able to provide properly for his family. "He recognises that this was a very foolish mistake, one that he

very deeply regrets. He was arrested nearly two years ago now. He has a long time to dwell on what he has done. "There is a great deal of stress on his part about the prospect of

receiving a custodial sentence and not being there to support his family. He has not been in any trouble since that time. "They have three children in total. His wife has now returned

back to her career in human resources for an environmental sciences company. She has got a decent, stable wage. "Their financial position is a lot better than it was, but childcare is

costing them a lot. He stays home with the kids two days a week to enable her to continue with her job full time. "To his credit, he has managed to find alternative employment. His wife

speaks of him being a loving husband and father who plays a very active role in the life of his young family. "His lack of previous convictions, the positive behaviour that he has been

involved in since the commission of these offences and the stabilising factors all suggest that, in this case, there is a realistic prospect of rehabilitation. There is some suggestion that

immediate custody would have a significant harmful impact on his family. Plainly, it is going to cause difficulty with her maintaining the decent employment that she has at the

moment." Ispas admitted one count of theft by an employee. Appearing in the dock wearing a blue shirt and sporting short dark hair, he was handed a 14-month imprisonment suspended for

20 months plus 150 hours of unpaid work and a rehabilitation activity requirement of up to 15 days. His wife could be seen wiping tears away with a tissue in the public gallery as he was

spared an immediate jail term. Ispas was also told to pay £150 in court costs and a victim surcharge. Sentencing, Judge Katherine Pierpoint said: "In March 2021, you started work at an

Amazon warehouse. Anybody who works at that premises has a degree of trust placed upon them by their employer. You have abused that trust. "The total value of the goods that you stole

was just under £85,000. It is a great shame to find you before these courts, a man who clearly has a strong work ethic and is clearly a caring and supportive father who has never been in

trouble with the police before. "I accept that, at the time the offences took place, you were struggling following the very sad loss of your child. After later finding out that your

wife was pregnant with twins, I have no doubt that you were worried about money. "In no way does it excuse what you did. There are plenty of people who find themselves in similar

situations who do not resort to stealing from the employer. That is why this is viewed as an extremely serious matter, but I do take account of the background of this offending behaviour.

"This matter has now been hanging over you and your family for nearly two years. That is not your fault. Matters had to be investigated. To your credit, in that time, you have not been

in any further trouble. It is accepted that this was not particularly sophisticated. Article continues below "No complaint at all could be made if you were immediately sent to custody.

People need to understand that they cannot steal from their employers. That time, I do not doubt, would be difficult to you, but I have to consider the impact on others. I am giving you a

chance today. I do not want to see you back before these courts again."