Reports say that 700 badges have been seized by police. The badges are believed to have been stolen from cars in the Coventry area.
Maxine-Ann Sokil, 49-year-old badge thief, was caught out when a potential buyer recognised a badge from Coventry Transport Museum on eBay.
The amateur detective informed museum staff, who in turn reported the discovery to police. When police raided Sokil’s flat, they found the badges—which she insisted had been bought legitimately from scrap yards and car boot sales.
She was found guilty of theft, attempted theft, and dealing with stolen property, and she was given a 12 month community sentence and 10-week overnight curfew.
In addition, she was ordered to pay £200 costs and a £60 victim surcharge.
Helen Whitehead, of West Midlands CPS, said: “In this case, most of the victims failed to report the theft of their car badges, and this enabled Sokil to escalate her criminal activity. Although such crime may be viewed by some as low level, it is exactly this type of offending which blights communities and has an adverse effect on victims.”
