Prison sentences totalling 165 weeks have been handed to a team who travelled to Pembrokeshire to carry out sleight-of-hand deceptions and thefts from local shops.

Lasmin Rostas, 24, Loredana Sava, 30, Munteam Terca, 32, and Calugareanu Leonal Anghel, 18, all of Luton, appeared from custody at Haverfordwest magistrates court on Monday, September 9.

Rostas, Sava and Terca pleaded guilty to jointly stealing £80 of items from Peacocks, Pembroke Dock, £39.05 of items from Pennar post office, and £2,574 of items from Boots, Haverfordwest.

Turca and Rostas also admitted offences of committing fraud by sleight-of-hand deception.

Anghel pleaded guilty to a sleight-of-hand deception to gain £158.01 in Boots, Haverfordwest, driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence, and fraud by false representation to gain £400 of clothing from Next, Haverfordwest.

All the offences took place on September 6.

Vaughan Pritchard-Jones, prosecuting, said police stopped a black Mercedes driven by Anghel, with the three women as passengers, on the A40, after receiving reports from local shops that offences may have been committed.

The car boot contained a large amount of new clothing and toiletries still in their wrappers.

Mr Pritchard-Jones said: “The occupants of the car could not give a reasonable explanation about why they had so many new items in the car.”

The group was found to have more than £1,000 of £20 notes between them, and police discovered the offences had been captured on CCTV.

Mr Pritchard-Jones added: “The Crown say that this is planned enterprise. The four defendants live a long, long way away. The man said they had been travelling around the area for five to six days.”

Mike Kelleher, defending, Anghel and Rostas said they were remorseful for what occurred.

He added Angel promised it would never happen again, and Rostas thought the group was going to visit friends and went along for the ride not knowing what their plans were.

Jonathan Webb, representing Turca and Sava, said they accepted their part in the offences.

Magistrates sentenced Turca, who was subject to a suspended sentence at the time, to a total of 61 weeks in prison.

Sava and Anghel were sentenced to 26 weeks each, and Rostas 52 weeks.

All were ordered to pay costs and surcharges.