Frenchman jailed after stealing €52,000 of luxury goods

By Jessica Magee

 A man stole luxury items worth over €52,000 from high end shops in Dublin city centre as part of a smishing offence, a court has heard.

Three people’s credit card details were used to buy designer goods including Cartier watches, a Dior shirt and trousers, a Louis Vuitton hold-all and a Gucci top.

Yanis Soudani (21), with an address in Rennes, France, pleaded guilty to seven counts of theft carried out on five different dates in January of this year.

The French national was sentenced to 18 months in prison by Judge Orla Crowe at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on Tuesday.

Judge Crowe noted that two of the victims in the case had managed to get some of their money back, but the third victim had not and had suffered great trouble and extreme stress.

Garda David Dunne told Michael Hourigan BL, prosecuting, that the victims in the case had received fraudulent text messages asking them to divulge financial details, in an offence known as “smishing”.

Over €70,000 was wrongfully withdrawn from one of the victim’s bank account, while €515 and €827 was stolen from the other two victims.

Investigating gardaí called to various retailers in the city centre and sought out receipts and CCTV footage for 22 different transactions which took place on January 9, 10, 11, 21 and 22 this year.

The court heard that Soudani was in the company of two other co-accused, who are still before the courts and cannot be named.

Gda Dunne said in all the transactions, Soudani and the other accused used their mobile phones linked to Google Pay to make the purchases.

On January 9, two men went into John Brereton Jewellers on Capel Street and brought a chain to the value of €5,350.

Later the same day, the men went into Brown Thomas on Grafton Street and brought a Louis Vuitton Keepall Bandouliere 50 canvas travel bag, valued at €3,300.

The men bought a second such bag later that day, got a €120 mobile phone top up in the Vodafone store and ate an €85 lunch in Dolce Sicily on South Anne Street using the stolen credit card details.

Also on that date, the stolen credit card details were used to buy mobile phone SIM cards in Vodafone Blackrock, and a Gucci top and a MontClare top, again from Brown Thomas.

The following day, the men brought two mobiles and a plug to the value of €2,800 from the I-Connect store on Henry Street.

They also bought two Cartier watches worth €15,700 from Weirs Jewellers on Grafton Street and a €3,100 Gucci casual jacket from Brown Thomas.

On the same day they bought a chain valued at €7,000 from John Brereton Jewellers and a blue Dior shirt worth €1,100 from Brown Thomas.

Other purchases included Dior trousers and a Samsung powerpack.

The men spoke French but also had a good level of English, the court heard.

They made no attempt to hide their faces and calmly asked staff in each shop for specific items.

On January 22, staff at Brown Thomas phoned gardaí as they recognised two men who had made the previous purchases.

Soudani was arrested and identified himself on the CCTV footage but did not disclose how he had come by the credit card details.

“I only work for someone,” he told gardaí.

Soudani was cooperative and compliant, telling gardaí that they would find further items at the Hotel Zanzibar where he was staying while in Dublin.

Soudani has no previous convictions from this or any other jurisdiction.

Tony McGillicuddy SC, defending, said Soudani had written a letter of apology and was accompanied in court by his mother who had travelled from France to attend.

His mother was a civil servant with the French Department of Agriculture, the court heard.

Soudani graduated last year having studied electrical engineering in college and had done some part time work in the post office in the run up to Christmas.

“He has found himself the cog in a criminal enterprise,” said counsel, adding that prison has been very difficult for Soudani.

The court heard that Soudani has done numerous courses in prison including in English and First Aid and has achieved enhanced status. He has the Gaisce Award Silver Level and is applying himself as best as he can, counsel said.

“He has learned a very harsh lesson,” said Mr McGillicuddy.

Judge Crowe backdated the sentence to January 22, saying the court must have regard to the rehabilitation of a young man.