Stolen phone app leads police to user
A man took photographs of his girlfriend on a stolen mobile phone – unaware that the phone's owner was receiving them on his laptop.
Lee Ellwood picked up the phone – left behind by a friend who had stayed on his sofa for a night – and despite knowing it had been stolen, continued to use it as if it was his own phone.
He took photographs of his girlfriend, but was unaware that theft victim Melville Thomas was receiving all pictures and location updates through a dropbox app, which sent them to his lap top.
Mr Thomas saved the pictures and information and handed them to the police who arrested Ellwood, 40, of Lon Eithin, Newtown.
Ellwood admitted at Welshpool Magistrates' Court yesterday charges of handling stolen goods on November 22 and possessing a trace of cannabis resin – a class B drug – on the same date.
He was given a 12-month conditional discharge by magistrates who also ordered him to pay £85 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.
Mrs Helen Tench, prosecuting, said: "Mr Thomas had left his mobile phone in his vehicle in Shortbridge Street, Newtown, and had popped to a shop, leaving his vehicle unattended and when he returned back to the car, the LG smartphone was gone.
"However, Mr Thomas had a dropbox app on his phone which saw the photographs taken on the phone sent to his laptop computer.
"When the defendant took photographs of his girlfriend on the phone, they were beamed back to Mr Thomas who sent them to the police and she was identified and the defendant traced."
Mrs Tench said the police arrived at Ellwood's home and he admitted picking up the phone, knowing it had been stolen by a friend who stayed the night at his house, but refused to name him.
She added that officers also found a small amount of cannabis worth £3 on him at the time of arrest. She said Ellwood made full admissions under interview.
Mr Paul Inns, for Ellwood, said the case was a stark warning to thieves not to bother stealing smartphones.
He said: "Now this technology is here I recommend thieves don't even bother stealing these phones as you will be caught and I urge anybody who has a smartphone to enable this technology immediately.
"His friend had left the phone behind and my client knew it was stolen goods. He used it to take some family photos and he was caught. My message would be don't even try to steal them."
