Big Issue seller is banned from the streets
May 5 2009 by Neil McKay, The Journal
A CROOKED Big Issue seller has now been banned from selling the magazine for the homeless after she was convicted of stealing £80 from a blind woman.
On Friday Bianca Mihai, 30, of Fairholm Road, Fenham, Newcastle, was ordered to perform 100 hours' community work by a judge at Durham Crown Court. Mihai, a Romanian with previous convictions for shoplifting, had admitted at an earlier hearing stealing £80 from a partially-sighted customer.
The victim, a 22- year-old woman, offered to buy a copy of the magazine when she came across Mihai at her pitch in Silver Street, Durham.
Because she had no money, Mihai escorted her to a cashpoint to help her make a withdrawal.
The victim’s bank card was inserted and the machine correctly dispensed £40 twice over.
Each time Mihai put the money in her pocket and told the victim none had come out.
A woman passer-by saw what had happened and alerted a passing police officer. The money was recovered from Mihai as she tried to get into a car in North Road, Durham.
