Thief Sentenced to Prison Over Delivery Van Heist at St Albans O2 Shop

ST ALBANS, Hertfordshire — A 60-year-old Essex resident has been handed a prison sentence after pleading guilty to a high-value theft from a mobile phone delivery vehicle in St Albans city centre.

Alan Chart, of Clacton-on-Sea, traveled to St Albans on Friday, January 30, 2026, with the explicit intent of targeting a delivery vehicle servicing the O2 retail shop on St Peter’s Street. Chart successfully intercepted the vehicle, stealing thousands of pounds worth of brand-new Apple iPhones. In an attempt to avoid detection, he concealed the stolen devices in nearby shrubbery, planning to return and retrieve them later.

However, the crime did not go unnoticed. St Albans City and District Council’s CCTV operators spotted the suspicious activity and alerted Hertfordshire Constabulary. Following a swift investigation by the Operational Support Group, Chart was arrested on February 2, 2026. Officers successfully recovered the hidden iPhones, along with cash, financial documents, a tracking device, and toolkits used to commit the heist, including a magnetic sign and a beanie hat.

Chart appeared before St Albans Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, where he pleaded guilty to theft. The magistrate sentenced him to eight months in prison and ordered him to pay £3,912 in compensation to O2.