Amazon delivery driver spared prison after doorbell camera catches him stealing pet cat

A delivery driver caught on doorbell camera picking up a cat from the garden has been spared an immediate prison sentence.

Catalin Stancu, 41, was given an eight-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, after admitting taking the family’s beloved pet Nora from outside her home in Elland, West Yorkshire, in January.

Stancu, of Oldham, told police he saw the cat in the rain and was unsure if it had an owner, although he was careful about its leash.

The court heard Nora’s family endured three distressing days without her. The video quickly went viral after she posted footage showing him being taken online, demanding that she return because she needed medication. This reaction on social media led Stancu to contact the family to arrange Nora’s return.

Stancu pleaded guilty to taking the cat, which Bradford Magistrates’ Court heard was a new offense introduced in 2024 to distinguish it from theft and reflect the fact that “a family pet is more than just an object”.

Speaking outside the court, Stancu apologized to Nora’s family and said people in his home country, Romania, had been mocking him since the social media post began to spread.

Stancu said he had “no bad intentions” and added: “I didn’t steal, I just took it.”

Three-year-old rescue cat Nora went missing from her home on January 19, the court heard.

Carl Crowther, who lived with his wife, daughter and stepdaughter, panicked when he did not return home for tea as usual and was still missing the next day.

Prosecutor Paul Ramsey said Mr Crowther checked Ring doorbell footage which showed an Amazon driver delivering a package, then looking at Nora for a “long time” before picking her up and putting her in a car.

The court heard that after the images were published online, Mr Crowther received a Facebook request from Stancu and his daughter received a message on TikTok saying: “Hi, I have your cat. Please message me your address. I tried to return the cat but I forgot where I got it from.”

The court heard Stancu was arrested and returned to Nora’s family, but she was unable to go out as before and the family had a covered outdoor area built for her out of fear she might be kidnapped again.

Mr Crowther’s 18-year-old stepdaughter, Kyla Sharpe, who attended the court with her mother, Sarah Sharpe, said in a statement that the family now felt more anxious and had changed their daily routine.

In mitigation, the court heard Stancu was “genuinely remorseful” and asked the family to accept his apology.

Giving him a suspended prison sentence, District Judge Paul Marks told Stancu: “Whatever your original purpose in taking Nora was and whatever your concerns were for Nora’s welfare, you should not have acted in this way.

“Nora was a much-loved family pet and the family wanted her back… The ordeal they went through for three days knowing nothing about Nora’s whereabouts was heartbreaking.”

Stancu, who had three previous convictions for fraud but had not appeared in court since 2013, was also sentenced to 15 days of rehabilitation activity and an electronically monitored curfew for three months.

Judge Marks also ordered the family to pay compensation of £500, but added that “Nora’s value cannot be measured in pounds and pence”.

After leaving the court, Stancu told reporters: “I’m sorry, I accept my punishment.

“Taking the cat wasn’t a bad intention. I didn’t steal it. I just took it… I did my best to give the cat back when I saw it on social media. I didn’t know the cat belonged to them.”

Kyla Sharpe, who read a statement on behalf of her family outside court, said: “Today’s sentence cannot take away the distress and heartbreak our family has felt, but we are grateful that the court recognized the seriousness of what happened.

“Our beloved Nora was taken from our garden by someone who had no right to do so.

“He’s not just a pet, he’s a valued member of our family, and the fear of not knowing if we’d ever see him again was devastating for all of us.

“We are incredibly grateful and relieved that he was finally returned to us safely.

“Having him home again means a lot to our family, but the emotional impact of what happened will stay with us for a long time.

“We hope today’s outcome sends a clear message that animals are not objects to be stolen and that the pain these actions cause families is very real.

“We spoke with Mr. Stancu and accepted his apology.”