A pedicab driver, Iuliu Kubola, has been involved in a series of burglaries that targeted several restaurants in London, including Piazza Italiana where he stole wine valued at nearly £24,000. On June 6, Kubola used a wheelie bin to transport 73 bottles of wine from the restaurant’s cellar to his pedicab.

During a hearing at the Old Bailey, his lawyer, Daisy Kell-Jones, claimed that Kubola, 61, was eager to return the stolen wine to the police. Consequently, Judge Mark Lucraft KC postponed his sentencing to November 3 to allow Kubola the chance to fulfill this promise.

Kubola had previously pleaded guilty to the June 6 burglary and admitted to committing three additional thefts. These included taking approximately £6,000 worth of wine and £200 from the till at Comptoir Cafe and Wine in Mayfair on May 10, alongside smaller thefts from Oliveto restaurant and Piazza Italiana.

He was apprehended on June 22 near Piazza Italiana, discovered with an array of tools and stolen alcohol in his possession. In a police interview, when questioned about his intentions with the stolen wine, he remarked, "Wine is to drink, no?"

Kell-Jones noted that Kubola had worked for two of the establishments he targeted and claimed he stole the wine due to unpaid wages. Prosecution lawyer Matthew Jolliffe sought £31,393.20 in compensation for the restaurant to cover the stolen goods and damage incurred. The judge expressed hope that Kubola’s cooperation in recovering the wine would allow for some of the compensation amount to be recouped.

Kubola is scheduled to return to court on November 3 for sentencing.