KUDRIKOVA: PICKPOCKET FONDLED GENTLEMAN
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Southwark Crown Court/Nick Cullen
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15 August 2011
fondle…1
A pickpocket distracted her wealthy victim by fondling him as she removed his cash and bankcard, court heard.
Diana Kudrikova, 36, asked Michael Clark if he wanted sex and touched him over his trousers near his office in the heart of Mayfair.
A few minutes later that the victim realised £420 he had just withdrawn from a cashpoint had vanished.
Female police officers later found the missing money in the defendant’s bra after strip-searching her in her cell.
Kudrikova was given a six week prison sentence suspended for two years at Southwark Crown Court today after she admitted theft and common assault.
Recorder Philip Katz, QC, also told the Czech national to carry out 40 hours of unpaid work and undergo six months of supervision, and ordered that the £420 be repaid to Mr Clark from the money found on her, in addition to as £100 in compensation to him and £125 in prosecution costs.
He told her he had decided to suspend the sentence after hearing she is a single mother of four and that her youngest child is severely ill with a heart defect.
The judge said: ‘Anyone who lives in this city know the West End is full of people practicing these kinds of swift deceits on people to steal their money.
‘It was brazen and you have previous convictions showing that you have something of the thief in you, so you can’t claim that this is something you have never done before.
‘What saves you, Madam, from a prison sentence right now, is what I am told about your domestic circumstances.
‘If you think it’s right to look after your four children, one of whom is very poorly indeed, by coming to London and stealing from innocent people, then you should think differently.’
‘Rather than taking away day trips to London to steal, you can do some unpaid work to help the community where you live.’
Prosecutor Gavin Ludlow-Thompson told the court that Mr Clark had taken his son and daughter to a show at the O2 on the night of April 4 this year to celebrate his son’s birthday.
They later returned to the West End, where Mr Clark withdrew £500 from an ATM and gave £30 to his son and £50 to his daughter, who later left the group to go home.
Mr Clark and his son then decided to go to a casino together, walking via his office in Barclay Square.
As they walked together, the pair were accosted by Kudrikova and another woman.
‘This defendant initially tried to engage the father, the victim, and the other girl it appears engaged the son,’ Mr Ludlow-Thompson said.’
The court heard that Kudrikova asked Mr Clark to light her cigarette and gave him a box of matches to do so.
‘What she then said was to the effect of “Do you want sex?”’ the Prosecutor said, ‘and we say she touched him in the area of his testicles and squeezed.
‘That was repeated a second time and she [also] touched his chest, patting him down, and then directing attention to the jacket pocket, from which she removed the £420 left over.
‘The two girls then made off, and it was only a short time later that it became apparent to the victim he had lost his money.’
The court heard that father and son then set off in pursuit of the women, and the son caught up with them and stopped them as they tried to get in a taxi.
Police were called, and as they approached they spotted that money, which turned out to be a total of £100 was being dropped on the ground.
Kudrikova was taken to the police station, where officer found a further £20 in her handbag, as well as £525 and £20 stuffed into her bra.
Mr Clark’s bank-card, which had also gone missing, was never recovered.
Kudrikova, of (14) Bradwell Road, Peterborough, admitted theft and common assault.
ENDS
