A sweet treat fiend has been jailed after stealing more than £5,000 worth of chocolate during a nationwide supermarket sugar-fuelled spree.
Ionit Rova, 20, from Harrow in London, was sentenced to 10 weeks in prison at Reading Magistrates' Court on February 17.
The chocolate bandit targeted nine Tesco stores and one Aldi across multiple counties during his six-month crime wave.
Rova systematically raided supermarkets across swathes of the UK - including Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Norfolk, Surrey and Rutland.
His stealing spree began in August 2024 and continued until January this year.
The thief embarked on his unique crime spree on August 20, 2024, when he stole approximately £800 worth of products from a Tesco in Daventry.
In September, he targeted a Tesco in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, making off with another £800 haul.
Just three days later, Rova struck again at a Tesco in Princes Risborough, stealing £600 worth of chocolate.
His raids continued through October, November and December, with thefts from Tesco stores in Faringdon, Warfield, Swaffham, Dereham, Leatherhead and Oakham.
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The final theft occurred on January 18, 2025, when he switched to Aldi in Wokingham, stealing £238.14 worth of items.
The 20-year-old's October theft saw him take £500 worth of confectionery from Tesco in Faringdon, Oxfordshire.
On Halloween, he stole £400 worth of chocolate from Tesco in Warfield, Berkshire, which was soon followed by his busiest month in November, with three separate thefts.
On November 13, he stole £600 worth of items from Tesco in Swaffham, Norfolk, and another £300 from Tesco in Dereham on the same day.
He then took £502.50 worth of chocolate from a Tesco in Leatherhead, Surrey on November 25 - soon followed by a December raid when he targeted a Tesco in Rutland, where he stole £672 worth of sweet treats.
The total value of stolen chocolate across all ten thefts amounted to over £5,000.
Magistrates in Reading handed Rova a 10-week jail sentence after he admitted that the crimes were chocolate-based.
His sentence would have been significantly longer if he had not made this admission, the court heard.
But without his guilty plea, Rova could have faced up to 45 weeks behind bars.
Find Out More...
Ionit Rova, 20, from Harrow in London, was sentenced to 10 weeks in prison at Reading Magistrates' Court on February 17.
The chocolate bandit targeted nine Tesco stores and one Aldi across multiple counties during his six-month crime wave.
Rova systematically raided supermarkets across swathes of the UK - including Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Norfolk, Surrey and Rutland.
His stealing spree began in August 2024 and continued until January this year.
The thief embarked on his unique crime spree on August 20, 2024, when he stole approximately £800 worth of products from a Tesco in Daventry.
In September, he targeted a Tesco in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, making off with another £800 haul.
Just three days later, Rova struck again at a Tesco in Princes Risborough, stealing £600 worth of chocolate.
His raids continued through October, November and December, with thefts from Tesco stores in Faringdon, Warfield, Swaffham, Dereham, Leatherhead and Oakham.
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The final theft occurred on January 18, 2025, when he switched to Aldi in Wokingham, stealing £238.14 worth of items.
The 20-year-old's October theft saw him take £500 worth of confectionery from Tesco in Faringdon, Oxfordshire.
On Halloween, he stole £400 worth of chocolate from Tesco in Warfield, Berkshire, which was soon followed by his busiest month in November, with three separate thefts.
On November 13, he stole £600 worth of items from Tesco in Swaffham, Norfolk, and another £300 from Tesco in Dereham on the same day.
He then took £502.50 worth of chocolate from a Tesco in Leatherhead, Surrey on November 25 - soon followed by a December raid when he targeted a Tesco in Rutland, where he stole £672 worth of sweet treats.
The total value of stolen chocolate across all ten thefts amounted to over £5,000.
Magistrates in Reading handed Rova a 10-week jail sentence after he admitted that the crimes were chocolate-based.
His sentence would have been significantly longer if he had not made this admission, the court heard.
But without his guilty plea, Rova could have faced up to 45 weeks behind bars.
Find Out More...