Amazon driver caught on Ring doorbell footage stealing family’s cat while making delivery faces prison

An Amazon delivery driver who stole a family’s cat while making a delivery could now face prison time.

Catalin Stancu, 42, was caught by the Ring doorbell on January 18 after she left cat Nora a package at her home in Elland, near Halifax, West Yorkshire.

Now a judge has warned Stancu he could face a prison sentence for the daytime burglary, to which the driver pleaded guilty at Bradford Magistrates’ Court.

Brazen footage of the theft was shared on social media by the cat’s owners, Carl and Sarah Crowther.

The distraught couple and their two daughters were reunited with their beloved pet hours later after receiving a text from Stancu saying ‘Hello, I’ve got your cat’.

West Yorkshire Police officers tracked down the thief and arrested Stancu, of Oldham, Greater Manchester, who pleaded guilty to stealing the cat when he appeared in court on Wednesday.

District Judge Alexander Boyd warned Stancu that pet theft is taken much more seriously than property theft.

The Pet Theft Act 2024, which came into force in England and Northern Ireland in August 2024, makes the theft of a cat or dog a specific offense and recognizes them as sentient beings rather than mere property. Convicted offenders face up to five years in prison, a fine, or both.

The family said they were ‘completely shocked’ when they checked the cameras and saw Stancu kissing the tabby.

Catalin Stancu was spotted off the field

The court heard Amazon worker Stancu delivered a package to Crowther’s home in Elland on January 18. He rang the doorbell, but no one was home.

He left the package on the front doorstep but then picked up Nora the cat from the garden and arrogantly walked away with her.

When Mr Crowther returned home from work at 3.30pm he was surprised not to be greeted by Nora; This was unusual as it was his feeding time.

The family searched the surrounding area but did not get any results. However, when the family checked Ring’s doorbell, they discovered that Nora had been kidnapped by the Amazon driver and shared the footage on social media.

The appeal went viral and Stancu noticed the appeal and messaged the family, but later added that he could not return the letter because he had forgotten their address.

Stancu was pursued by the police, arrested and charged.

In a victim impact statement, the Crowther family told the court: ‘When we learned Nora was missing we had no idea where she was, whether she was injured or if she was alive.

‘Learning that she had been deliberately kidnapped further increased our fear and emotional distress. Knowing that he was taken from our garden, a place where he should be safe, makes it even more shocking.

Mr Crowther and his family were very concerned when they saw their cat Nora being taken away by the delivery driver.

The judge said the offense was ‘too serious to warrant a mere financial penalty’ and warned it carried a maximum prison sentence of five years.

‘For four days we were left in complete uncertainty as to his whereabouts and the emotional toll on our family was enormous.

‘Nora is not just a pet, she is a much-loved member of our family. It felt unreal to receive something so important to us.

‘We were worried he might have been hurt, scared, or worse.’

The family said Nora recovered only because of the request from social media, not because of anything Stancu did.

They said the theft affected them both emotionally and financially because they took extra precautions to protect their pets.

The Crowthers continued: ‘As a family we are feeling more anxious and have had to change our daily routines and our pets’ routines.

They said the experience caused them ‘fear and distress’.

The statement was written on behalf of Carl and Sarah Crowther and their two daughters, who were seated in the courtroom alongside police officers investigating the criminal complaint.

Nora has now returned home safely with the Crowthers’ other cat, Domino.

District Judge Alexander Boyd said animal theft was a relatively new offense and therefore there were no sentencing guidelines.

“This offense was introduced for the purpose of recognizing that a pet is part of the family and not just property, which was clearly the case in this case,” the judge said.

‘Therefore the value of the cat cannot be categorized.’

The court heard the maximum sentence could be up to five years.

Judge Boyd adjourned sentence for the preparation of a probation report ‘which should cover all options including custody’.

He said the offense was ‘too serious to warrant a mere financial penalty’ and deferred sentencing to a later date.

Mr Crowther said he was in ‘total shock and disbelief’ when he learned Nora was missing and had reviewed footage captured by the doorbell camera, adding that the family were particularly concerned about Nora’s health as she was ill and required medication.

But luckily the family were reunited with Nora three days later, with Mr Crowther adding that she ‘didn’t seem rattled’ by the recent break.

The father of two said his family was delighted with Nora’s safe return and thanked people for their support.

Carer Carl, from Elland, West Yorkshire, said: ‘We are delighted and very relieved that Nora is now home.

‘He seems unaffected by the events of the last few days and is happily enjoying the extra treats and cuddles.

‘We would like to thank everyone who liked and shared social media posts and news, we really did not expect it to reach such a wide audience. Everyone’s kind comments were appreciated.

‘We […] ‘I would like to thank them and representatives from Amazon and Zara for their help in getting Nora home safely.’

Mr Crowther was waiting for a parcel for his daughter from Zara when Nora went missing on Sunday, January 18. He had gone out for work at 13.30, an hour before the delivery arrived.

Initially Mr Crowther was not worried as he had not seen his cat all day because he is an outdoor cat and ‘knows the way home’.

But when Nora did not arrive the next morning, Carl and his partner Sarah, 52, became suspicious.

However, when they checked the doorbell footage, they saw the delivery driver pick up Nora and drive away after delivering the package.

He said: ‘There, I saw this delivery man coming down the road with the package in his hand.

‘He can’t get an answer because there’s no one at the door and he looks for someone safe to put the package in. He then clocked the cat.

‘When he held her he was in complete shock and disbelief.’

Mr Crowther added: ‘This is absolutely disgusting. He was there for more than six minutes. He immediately comes to the door, takes the cat, turns around and walks away.

‘I was the first to reach 101, I made a video call at 13.30, they said they would call back within 48 hours. In the meantime, I spoke to Amazon and told them what happened.’