Thief leaves mobile phone 'selfie' at Scene of Crime

 

A suspected jewel thief left his mobile phone - complete with 'selfie' - at the Kingston store where he is alleged to have stolen £18,000 worth of rings.

 

Police in Kingston are appealing for help to find Germain Ibrahim Fofana, a 27-year-old French national who is wanted for a series of offences across London, including shoplifting, robbery and burglary.

 

 

He is suspected of stealing two engagement rings and a wedding band worth a total of £18,000 from Ernest Jones in Clarence Street on Sunday, May 18.

 

But in his rush to escape the store, the suspect left behind a bag which included his mobile phone - with a self portrait for a screensaver.

 

The theft happened at about 1.45pm on Sunday. A man and a woman entered the store with a child in a buggy and asked a shop assistant about engagement rings.

 

The woman then pointed out two rings she liked and wanted to look at.

 

The couple then left the shop saying they were going to see jewellery at another store and would return later.

The man returned half an hour later and asked the same shop assistant to look at the two engagement rings as well as a wedding band.

He then ran out of the store - leaving his bag behind.

Detective Sergeant Damion Cummings from Kingston CID said: "In his hurry to run out of the shop, the suspect left his mobile phone on the table alongside his bag.

 

"While police were on scene the phone lit up having received a text message and a picture of the suspect was saved as the background.

"It was then the shop assistant who served him was able to identify the person in the picture.