TWO men have been jailed for stealing 10 iPhones from an Apple Store in Reading.

Antonio Ana, 19, and Laurentiu Pirvu, 21, were also sentenced for stealing a further 11 iPhones from an Apple store in Cambridge two days later.

The pair, both of Elgin Road, Southampton, had travelled to Reading on December 6 last year and carried out the theft at the store inside The Oracle shopping centre.

READ MORE: Guard accused of manslaughter said he was fearful he would be stabbed

They were sentenced to nine months and eight months imprisonment respectively for both thefts. Ana had an additional charge of battery for kicking a security guard at the Reading store when they were stealing the phones.

Opening the sentencing at Reading Crown Court on Wednesday (April 26), prosecutor Carl Williams said the men and a third unidentified male had arrived at the store and were pretending to look at phones on a table near the exit.

He said: “All three men grabbed the phones and ran, breaking the security cables holding the phones as they made their escape.

“[A security guard] who worked at the store…noticed the three men acting suspiciously as they were looking at the phones which was unusual.

READ MORE: Hospital under 'great pressure' due to flooding and power outage

“As the three men went to get their escape, [the security guard] attempted to [stop] the unidentified third man. Antonio was behind and jumped and kicked [the security guard] in the back.

“The three thieves made their escape, making off with 10 iPhones worth a total value of £10,690. They were inside the shopping centre for a total of five minutes.”

Two days later, the same incident happened inside the Grand Arcade shopping centre in Cambridge. A total of 11 iPhones were taken valuing £11,739.

A member of the public saw the men getting into a car and noted its registration number. They were later stopped by police and Ana could be seen hiding something underneath the driver’s seat.

It was a black gilet with the stolen iPhones from Cambridge inside. He was also found in possession of Class B drugs and Pirvu was found to be driving without insurance.

READ MORE: Young man appears in court charged with rape

Ana told police they had been directed by somebody in Southampton to steal the phones which they agreed to do to make ‘some quick money’.

Judge John Burgess sentenced them to four months for each count of theft, Ana received an additional month for battery and Pirvu was disqualified from driving for six months.

He said: “There may be something in the fact you were acting in on direction by others but you were both plainly motivated to make money.”

The stolen phones from Reading were never recovered.