‘Cinderella’ phone snatcher traced by the shoe he left behind

A ‘Cinderella’ phone snatcher was nailed when he was tackled by witnesses and left his shoe at the scene.

Career criminal Spencer Duarte, 28, was dragged off his e-bike by furious City workers after he grabbed a mobile in Ludgate Hill near St Paul’s Cathedral on August 7 last year.

His shoe came off in the struggle and police used it to trace his DNA.

Video footage shows the moment a courageous pedestrian leapt into the street and tackled the thief, who fell into the road while on his bike.

Duarte lost his rucksack containing a pack of face coverings and two rolls of kitchen foil in the initial struggle.

Wearing a flourescent top and helmet, Duarte managed to get on the cycle again and ride along the pavement before he his pulled from the saddle a second time.

He then runs across the road and is tackled by a bearded man.

Four pedestrians then tried to grab Duarte but he fled, leaving his trainer on the pavement.

Duarte, of Saffron Walden, Essex, admitted theft and possessing items with intent to stral in his rucksack at Inner London Crown Court.

The silver foil is used to wrap around the phone so it cannot be detected by trackers before it is unlocked and wipeed

Duarte will return for sentence on September 12.

Andrew Walker, physical forensics manager at the City of London Police, dubbed Duarte the ‘Cinderella phone snatcher’ after he left his trainer containing his DNA at the scene.

He 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.’

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.

In May 2018 Duarte was jailed for four years after he grabbed six mobile phones in just an hour from pedestrians in Islington and the West End.

Following his arrest Duarte had complained to police officers of serious kidney pain and taken to University College London Hospital.

Nothing was wrong with the thief and as officers were escorting him out of the hospital he ran off, still in his handcuffs.

Duarte had boasted about his escape on Instagram by posting a video showing someone else slicing his handcuffs in two.

Soon after he was joined by his then girlfriend, Jade Clapham, then 18, and they made their way to Whetstone Travel Lodge where a room had been booked for the night.

They were later arrested at a friend’s address.

Police had recovered 13 phones and found Duarte’s fingerprints on one of them.

Clapham, of Islington, later admitted assisting an offender by impeding his apprehension or prosecution.

Duarte was part of a gang who grabbed 14 handbags worth £50,000 from the Louis Vuitton shop in Sloane Street, Chelsea, in 2015.

Duarte was then jailed for 13 months after he was convicted of conspiracy to handling stolen goods and was out on licence when he committed the moped thefts