The face of a crying professional pickpocket who targeted shoppers in H&M and Zara

This is the face of a crying professional pickpocket who targeted women in Birmingham city centre. Sabka Ivanova broke down in tears as she was jailed for two years and 11 months at the city’s crown court on Tuesday (May 28).

The ruthless 36-year-old Bulgarian national traveled from London to carry out a series of thefts in one day. She used a clothing trick when she hit H&M and Zara on New Street on February 2, mainly targeting expensive iPhones.

Ivanova slipped her hand into the victim’s pocket while it was hidden by an article of clothing held by an unidentified accomplice. She successfully stole three phones and made failed attempts to swipe two others.

READ MORE: Win the ultimate CBeebies experience at Alton Towers Resort, including a themed night party!

Get the latest court and crime news directly through our WhatsApp community Here

But she was caught when she returned to the city on March 2, this time with 24-year-old Nedka Stancheva, and targeted a sixth victim. Ivanova was recognized by an H&M store detective who alerted West Midlands Police’s dedicated pickpocket team, Operation Willowvale.

The pair were arrested. Ivanova, of Town Road in Edmonton, north London, admitted four charges of theft and two charges of attempted theft. Appearing in court via video link from HMP Foston Hall in Derbyshire, she held her head in her hands and cried as she was locked up.

She will serve half of her two-year, 11-month term in custody before being released. Stancheva, of Logan Road, just around the corner from Ivanova, admitted one charge of theft and was given an eight-month sentence suspended for 18 months with 20 days of rehabilitation and 180 hours of unpaid work.

Prosecutor Gary Cook said: “These are skilled and appear to be fairly well-practised robberies which have some professional hallmarks.”

Two women spoke about the impact of having their phones taken, with one saying her wedding and honeymoon photos were “lost forever”. Recorder Collingwood Thompson KC said stealing a phone was like stealing “most aspects of someone’s life”.

PC Matt Evans, from Operation Willowvale, said: “This is a fantastic result for the victims and really reflects the impact these types of crimes have on innocent people. In these cases we have had victims who had lost wedding photos and precious memories that were only stored on their phones and impossible to recover, leaving the victims paranoid that they were being followed and unwilling to return to Birmingham as a result.

“When I told the victims about the length of Ivanova’s sentence, one woman said it made her day. Professional gangs of pickpockets travel the length and breadth of the UK to carry out their crimes. We have plainclothes teams working day and night to catch criminals and our team of skilled investigators so we can help victims get justice.”