When her handbag valued at 2,900 euros was stolen from the table of a bar in the Metropole Shopping Centre the owner feared there was little chance of ever being reunited with the luxurious accessory.
Since the suspected thief was wearing a mask, due to coronavirus rules in force in February 2022, and thick dark glasses, they could not be identified. However, the culprit was seen on CCTV cameras leaving from the train station shortly after the theft.
When the victim lodged a complaint with Monaco Police, she told them that inside the bag was a distinctive stain.
One month later the rightful owner saw her bag advertised on a Russian-language website for second-hand goods, for 1,100 euros, together with the words “bought in Monaco.”
A Russian cleaning woman was taken into custody and the bag returned to its owner, the court in Monaco heard. The alleged culprit strongly denied being the thief, and her lawyer told the court there was no connection between her and the bag. He said the bag had been bought at a street market in Biot.
However, the court followed the demands of the prosecution and sentenced the defendant to two weeks jail, suspended.
