Gang admit using 'cash claw' to steal nearly £5,000 from Portsmouth cash machines

The trio targeted Nationwide cash machines on November 8 in Commercial Road in Portsmouth city centre, in London Road, Hilsea, and Osborne Road, Southsea.

Today at Portsmouth Crown Court Toader Steclaru, 58, of no fixed address, admitted eight charges and insisted he acted only as a lookout.

His co-defendants Bejan Florinel, 20, of The Polygon, Southampton, and Adrian Survgill, 29, of Salford Avenue, Southampton have previously admitted nine charges each.

Survgill and Florinel admitted having a cash claw and crowbar.

All three admitted jointly acquiring criminal property - the £4,700 stolen cash, three thefts, three charges of criminal damage and having bank cards not in their names.

Adjourning the Romanian trio’s sentencing, judge Roger Hetherington told Steclaru: ‘I’m adjourning sentencing to January 24. I’m ordering a pre-sentence report and meanwhile you will be remanded in custody.’

Criminals withdraw cash legitimately, and when the money is coming out, insert the ‘cash claw’.

Then when another person attempts to make a withdrawal the device intercepts the cash.

Then when the machine is out of order the criminals return and use pliers or a screwdriver to get at the cash drawer, retrieving the device and stolen cash.