Thief who snatched iPhone from pregnant woman avoids jail

A pregnant woman fell to the ground as a thief snatched her iPhone from her hand. Joshua Oni had arranged to buy the phone from the woman on Gumtree but did not have the money to pay her when he turned up at her home.

After asking her a few questions, Oni tried to steal the phone from her grasp. It fell to the floor and as they both went to grab it, the woman fell backwards.

Oni, who was 20 at the time of the offence on October 1 2019, picked the phone up and ran away, prosecution barrister Sophie Kenny told Bolton Crown Court. The woman went to hospital, complaining of stomach pain, but no issues were found and she was discharged.

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Police tracked Oni, of Manchester Road, Rochdale, down through his Gumtree account and arrested him. He admitted to stealing the phone and said that he needed it 'desperately' as he was out of work.

Oni told cops that he did not have the right money to buy the phone so had planned to try and "barter down the price". After stealing it, he sold it for £200, which he used to buy food and clothes.

He denied pushing or assaulting the woman and Ms Kenny told the court that Oni had been "shocked" and "immediately remorseful" when he found out she had been pregnant. Oni, now 22, pleaded guilty to theft from a person.

David Bruce, defending, said: "This was a long time ago. He is a very different person now."

Mr Bruce told the court that since the incident, Oni has completed a year of university and now works part time. He added that Oni has saved up money to pay the victim back for the phone.

The Honorary Recorder of Bolton Judge Martin Walsh sentenced Oni to a two-year community order,