Woman jailed for trying to pickpocket 13 people in 45 minutes in Birmingham Primark

A relentless attempted thief who tried to pickpocket from 13 people in 45 minutes has been jailed.

Melania Urmuz was caught thanks to an eagle-eyed member of the public in Birmingham city centre who spotted her attempting to pickpocket in Primark on the High Street in the city centre on Saturday (17th June).

Officers reviewed the store CCTV and were stunned to find that in the 45 minutes Urmuz had been in the store, she was caught on camera trying to steal from 13 different shoppers’ bags. Despite almost being caught in the act multiple times, she casually walked off to a different part of the shop to select another victim nearby.

The 51-year-old was charged with 13 counts of attempted theft and was remanded to appear at Birmingham Magistrates Court on Monday (19 June).

Urmuz, of no fixed address, was swiftly convicted and sentenced to nine months and a half in prison.

West Midlands Police statement

Investigating officer PC Mat Evans, said: “Urmuz was clearly a professional pickpocket and she’s rightly faced a swift investigation and conviction. I would urge members of the public to be aware of who is around them when they are out shopping and to keep their valuables close at all times.

“If you see a crime in progress please raise the alarm and help get these criminals off our streets.”