A THIEF has been jailed for stealing jewellery worth almost £8,000 from a Bolton shop after pretending he wanted to buy wedding gifts.

Bolton Crown Court heard how Cornel Adam and another man walked into the Courtyard jewellers in St Andrew’s Court in the afternoon of April 4.

Colin Buckle, prosecuting, told how the pair talked to owner, Anne Doyle, about buying watches and a selection of gold jewellery for a wedding.

He said the pair agreed to buy six watches plus a necklace, bracelets and a diamond ring but, unusually, asked for the items to be wrapped in paper instead of being packaged back into their boxes.

Mrs Doyle wrapped the watches individually and the rest of the jewellery, which included a £3,000 collarette, a £1,200 gold bracelet a £295 gold bracelet, a £750 diamond bracelet and a £2,250 three-stone diamond ring, into a single parcel.

The two men then engaged Mrs Doyle and her son in conversation about the size of bag that should be used, swapping the parcels between medium and large bags several times before one was finally sealed very securely.

“So many staples were used that the stapler ran out,” said Mr Buckle.

Adam and his accomplice then offered to pay with Euros, but Mrs Doyle told them they could not accept the currency, although they could change the money at a nearby exchange.

The two men left but Mrs Doyle became suspicious when she saw them walk past the exchange shop and discovered the jewellery was missing.

The court heard that earlier in the afternoon the men stole £200 from the Goldman Sterling Exchange shop in Deansgate, Manchester, by handing back only £445.68 of the £645.68 cash they had been given in exchange for 800 Euros.

When he was arrested Adam, aged 23, of Rushmere Avenue, Levenshulme, claimed the theft from the jewellery shop had been his friend’s idea and he only went along to help on the promise that he would receive some of the proceeds.

He pleaded guilty to two counts of theft.

Kimberley Morton, defending, said married Adam was “remorseful”.

Judge Timothy Stead said: “It is apparent to me that this was a carefully considered and carefully managed operation.”

Adam was jailed for 10 months for the theft from Courtyard jewellers and two months for the theft from Goldman Sterling Exchange. The sentences will run consecutively.