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Bromley couple jailed after stealing bank and SIM cards from gym lockers to fund lavish lifestyle

By: Ben Austin baustin@thekmgroup.co.uk

Published: 15:54, 15 January 2024

Updated: 17:21, 15 January 2024

A couple who stole bank cards from gym-goers’ lockers to fund a lavish lifestyle have been sentenced.

Ashley Singh and Sophie Bruyea, from Bromley, would target gyms and while victims were exercising, Singh would rifle through their lockers.

Ashley Singh was jailed for three years. Picture: Met police

The pair would then max out their victims’ credit cards on expensive tech and designer gear, before selling them on and using the cash to buy bags, shoes, holidays, and a pedigree puppy.

The couple’s spending spree was noticed by a local officer who realised there was a pattern and flagged it to detectives.

Police began tracing the pair’s phones, cars, and faces on CCTV and linked them all together.

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Met officers arrested them at Gatwick Airport on January 27 2023, as they returned from Paris with 2,000 Euros worth of designer goods.

The pair were sentenced at Croydon Crown Court last Wednesday (January 10) to conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation between January 2022 and January 2023 with a total value of £250k.

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jewellery acquired by Ashley Singh. Picture Met Police
Jewellery acquired by Ashley Singh. Picture: Met police

All in all 18 people were targeted in what the sentencing judge branded a “wicked conspiracy”.

The judge described the impact the pair’s “wide-ranging spree” had had on people, including instances where people no longer felt safe around strangers, or had suffered professionally due to the stress.

Ashley Singh, 39, was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment while Sophie Bruyea, was sentenced to 20 months at a young offenders’ institute, suspended for two years, a rehabilitation programme and 120 hours unpaid work.

DC Luis Da Silva, said: “It’s a horrible crime, and it causes a lot of stress, pain, and financial loss. That’s why we take this crime seriously and a whole team of us were committed to catching Singh and Bruyea.

“You couldn’t fail to be moved by the devastating impact their callous behaviour had on people, and we hope that by catching them this offers victims a little bit of solace.

“We will now look to forfeit the proceeds of their crimes to try and help compensate those who went through this.”

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