Burglar given time by judge to find 24K wine haul

Iuliu Kubola, a pedicab driver from Islington, stole nearly £24,000 worth of wine from various restaurants in London. He pleaded guilty to multiple burglaries, including an incident on June 6 where he took 73 bottles of wine from Piazza Italiana. During a hearing at the Old Bailey, Judge Mark Lucraft KC adjourned sentencing until November 3, urging Kubola to assist police in recovering the stolen items. Prosecution barrister Matthew Jolliffe has requested £31,393. 20 in compensation for the restaurants impacted by Kubola's thefts.

Defence lawyer Daisy Kell-Jones claimed Kubola had previously worked for two of the targeted restaurants and felt he was owed wages. Following his arrest, police found burglary tools and bottles of alcohol in his pedicab. Kubola's statement during police questioning, "Wine is to drink, no? " indicates his casual attitude towards the crime. His case highlights ongoing issues of theft and employee grievances in the hospitality sector.