Jail for thief who swiped phone from former aide to Bill Clinton

A ‘Cinderella’ phone snatcher who left his shoe at the scene after he was tackled by brave City workers was jailed for 15 months.

Career criminal Spencer Duarte, 29, snatched a phone from the hands of Brian de Clare, who worked as an advisor on climate issues to former President Bill Clinton.

Duarte targeted Mr de Clare, 66, the Executive Chairman of the New Energy Corporation, near St Paul’s Cathedral, on August 7 last year.

After grabbing Mr de Clare’s phone Duarte was dragged off his e-bike by furious City workers in Ludgate Hill.

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 fluorescent 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 ran across the road and was tackled by a bearded man.

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

Duarte had silver foil in his bag used to wrap around the phone so it cannot be detected by trackers before it is unlocked and wiped.

Judge Freya Newberry jailed Duarte for one year and three months today saying the CCTV footage was shocking.

She said: ‘You stole a phone from Mr de Clare, you were dressed all in yellow with a rucksack on your back.

‘You were speeding along on your bicycle in the area of Ludgate Hill and while he was using his phone you snatched it out of his hand.

‘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 cant 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.

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.’

Prosecutor Patricia Deighan said: ‘The victim on this occasion was Brian de Clare, at about 12pm in the afternoon he was walking along Ludgate Hill using a mobile phone in his hand when it was snatched out of his hand, he described a slight struggle by a rider on a pedal cycle.

‘As the defendant made off down Ludgate Hill towards Ludgate Circus on a bicycle members of the public tackled him and knocked him off his bike.

‘There was something of a struggle and other members of the public attend to assist and detain him.

‘He dropped the phone and also dropped a rucksack containing the items of foil and mobile phones.

‘He ran off chased by members of the public but did get away by jumping on a train.

‘The shoe was handed to police and he was identified through DNA.’

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.

Ms Deighan said: ’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.’

Mr de Clare said: ‘This and another incident where I had my wallet stolen has not stopped me coming to London but 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 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.

Defence barrister Parveen Mansoor said that Duarte was unemployed at the time of the offences due to the accident.

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.

She said he had been smoking cannabis from a young age and wanted help to stop.

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.

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.

He 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.
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