A ‘Cinderella’ phone snatcher who was identified by his lost shoe after being tackled by furious Londoners has been jailed for 15 months.
Spencer Duarte, aged 29, was quickly apprehended by individuals on the street after he snatched a man’s phone while riding an e-bike on Ludgate Hill on August 7 of the previous year.
The dramatic aftermath – caught on CCTV – showed a quick-thinking pedestrian leap into the street and intercept Duarte, who fell off his e-bike.
He then ran along the pavement as more members of the public tried to grab him.
He was eventually able to flee, but left behind a trainer containing DNA – leading police to dub him ‘the Cinderella phone snatcher’.
Authorities were unable to locate Duarte for a month until he was eventually identified and taken into custody. During June, he was convicted of theft at Inner London Crown Court.
Sentencing Duarte yesterday, the judge remarked that the crime had left his victim, 66-year-old Brian De Clare, a former advisor to Bill Clinton, too frightened to visit central London again.
His conviction marks a rare achievement in London’s battle against phone thefts, which have contributed to an alarming trend where nine phones were stolen every hour last year.
Police officials have acknowledged that phone theft is an ‘escalating and severe issue’ as they contend with what is described as an ‘organized criminal network.’
Spencer Duarte, 29, (in yellow) was rushed by members of the public after he grabbed a phone from a man’s hand
Pedestrians try to strip Duarte over as he tried to run away along the pavement
Authorities struggled to apprehend Duarte for a month until he was finally recognized and captured. He was found guilty of theft at Inner London Crown Court in June.
During sentencing, Judge Freya Newberry described Duarte as a career criminal.
‘You were speeding along on your bicycle in the area of Ludgate Hill and while Mr De Clare was using his phone you snatched it out of his hand,’ she said.
‘There was a momentary struggle while he tried to hang onto it but you took it and off you rode with it, but a couple of people took it on themselves to stop you getting away with that.
‘You were taken off the bike and even then made off – showing some considerable athletic ability in both cycling and the struggle afterwards.
‘This incident was so shocking it has given Mr de Clare a fear of coming into the city.
‘In that quite busy area where one doesn’t expect to see that sort of incident it was so dramatic and striking – and makes a lot of people fear they can’t walk around the streets, even in the city.
‘It looks as though from a relatively young age dishonesty and thieving were a way of life for you.’
Duarte arrived at Inner London Crown wearing beige cargo trousers, a beige t-shirt and glasses with a large rucksack packed with his belongings.
He was accompanied by his mother.
The moment Duarte was knocked off his bike by a member of the public
Forced to abandon his bike, the phone thief ran across the road and along a pavement
Andrew Walker, physical forensics manager at the City of London Police, said: ‘We were able to get sufficient levels of DNA from the shoe to obtain a single, major profile that was suitable for searching against the national DNA database.
‘This search generated a ‘hit’ to a male whose profile had previously been uploaded.
‘The slipper fitted our Cinderella and we were able to bring him before the courts.’
In the initial struggle Duarte also lost his rucksack containing a pack of face coverings and two rolls of kitchen foil.
Police believe he intended to use the foil to wrap around the phone so it could not be tracked before it was unlocked and wiped.
In a victim impact statement, Mr de Clare said he worked in the City of London for 25 years and still visits frequently now he is based overseas.
Mr de Clare said: ‘This and another incident where I had my wallet stolen has not stopped me coming to London, but it has made me nervous when walking even on major streets.
‘I warn others before they visit London to watch out at all times for these thieves who prey on normal people like myself.
‘I’m 65 years old and have concerns about older people being victimised for this sort of offence.’
Duarte’s bike and bag he left behind following the struggle. The bag contained silver foil as well as face coverings
Prosecutor Patricia Deighan added: ‘He visits London frequently for travel or work and has always felt safe walking the streets until this happened.
‘When this happened he was in complete shock and the experience left his heart racing.
‘Since this happened when he returns to London he looks look at the city with a different perspective – one of fear.’
Duarte told a probation officer that he owed his drug dealer £460 because of his cannabis addiction and he wanted to steal phones to give to him to pay off the debt.
He said his previous offences to theft were due to being involved with a gang in Islington.
He said he avoids going to London as it can ‘trigger’ his offending behaviour.
The probation officer said Duarte had been left with arthritis in his leg after a motorcycle accident in November 2021 so would not be suitable for unpaid work – despite showing significant athleticism during the theft.
Defence barrister Parveen Mansoor said Duarte was unemployed and his Universal Credit had been stopped because he was sanctioned for not attending the job centre.
She said he wanted to apologise to Mr de Clare and he had been smoking cannabis from a young age and wanted help to stop.
Alex (originally from New Zealand, was on his lunch break from work when he said he first spotted a cyclist he described as looking ‘slightly off’
Ms Mansoor said Duarte had been distressed by media reports referring to him as ‘Cinderella’.
‘He knows there is no fairytale ending here,’ she added.
Duarte, of Saffron Walden, Essex, admitted theft.
Jake Dean, Police Constable of the City of London Police, said: ‘Do not come to the City and think you can steal from residents, workers or visitors without paying the penalty.
‘Our targeted patrols, excellent police work and extensive CCTV will mean you will be caught and brought to justice.’
The replacement value of stolen phones for members of the public and insurance companies was estimated at £50m last year.
Duarte has seven convictions for 29 offences of theft and dishonesty.
He was part of a gang who grabbed 14 handbags worth £50,000 from the Louis Vuitton shop in Sloane Street, Chelsea, in 2015.
