A couple who targeted gym-goers’ bank cards to fuel their lavish lifestyle, blowing cash on trips to Dubai and the Amalfi Coast, have been jailed.
Ashley Singh, 39, and Sophie Bruyea, 20, targeted 18 victims as they worked their way through lockers at several gyms across London and the south-east in a year-long crime spree.
The devious pair maxed out the stolen credit cards as they splashed out at designer stores, including Prada, and even bought a pedigree puppy.
Were you a victim of Singh and Bruyea’s crimes? [email protected]
On social media Bruyea would flaunt their luxury life, sharing photos of themselves posing next to swimming pools, driving a luxury motor and standing in front of an aquarium at Burj Al Arab – dubbed Dubai’s most iconic hotel.
The glamorous couple were finally caught on January 27 last year and were arrested at Gatwick Airport after returning from Paris with around £1,700 of designer goods.
Their 18 victims suffered huge stress and financial loss as a result of their ‘wicked’ crimes, Croydon Crown Court heard.
Ashley Singh, 39, and Sophie Bruyea, 20, have been jailed following a year-long spree stealing gym-goers bank accounts
On social media Bruyea would flaunt their luxury life, sharing photos of themselves posing next to swimming pools , driving a luxury motor and standing in front of an aquarium at Burj Al Arab. Pictured: The glamorous couple pose for selfie
Singh (pictured) was jailed for three years while Bruyea was sentenced to 20 months at a young offenders’ institute, suspended for two years
The couple even bought a pedigree puppy (pictured) using the stolen credit cards of their victims
Some of the designer goods the couple bought with the credit cards of their victims
The couple would visit the gyms and rifle through lockers where gymgoers bank cards and even SIM cards were stolen.
The judge described the impact their ‘wide-ranging spree’ had on their victims, many of them professionals, who no longer felt safe around strangers.
There were 18 fraud reports in total, with 14 in the Metropolitan area, one from Sussex, one from Hertfordshire and two reports from Cambridgeshire.
Singh and Bruyea, of Widmore Road, Bromley, south London, were convicted of conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation between January 2022 and January 2023.
Singh was jailed for three years while Bruyea was sentenced to 20 months at a young offenders’ institute, suspended for two years.
The couple pose in a life, as Bruyea hangs a Christian Dior bag off her wrist, while Singh flashes his watch
Singh and Bruyea, of Widmore Road, Bromley, south London, were convicted of conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation between January 2022 and January 2023
The couple used the stolen cash to fund trips to Dubai and the Amalfi Coast in Italy, the court heard
The fun-loving couple maxed out victims’ credit cards, using the cash to fund lavish trips abroad and shopping trips to designer stores. Pictured: The couple pose at a bar in London overlooking the city
Singh (right) was jailed for three years while Bruyea (left) was sentenced to 20 months at a young offenders’ institute, suspended for two years
A local police officer had investigated the couple (pictured) then referred them to experts in economic crime
On social media Bruyea would flaunt their luxury life, sharing photos of them on holiday posing next to swimming pools
The couple enjoy a steak meal with their designer bags displayed on the restaurant table
Singh pictured with the pedigree puppy the couple bought with the stolen cash
On social media Bruyea would share snaps of their holidays. Pictured: An album of the couple’s trip to Dubai, showing them dining at a beach club and visiting designer stores
She was also sentenced to a rehabilitation programme and 120 hours unpaid work.
The couple would regularly share their luxury lifestyle – funded by their victim’s cash – on social media.
On one occasion, the pair took a trip to Dubai’s Aura Skypool where the minimum spend for the day is £214 per person.
Det Con Luis Da Silva, from the Met’s economic crime team that investigated this case, said: ‘We know Londoners are worried about theft. It’s a horrible crime, and it causes a lot of stress, pain, and financial loss.
‘That’s why we take this crime seriously and a whole team of us were committed to catching Singh and Bruyea.
‘You couldn’t fail to be moved by the devastating impact their callous behaviour had on people, and we hope that by catching them this offers victims a little bit of solace.
‘I would urge anyone who has had something stolen to get in touch, because we do want to drive down this crime and go after those who target the public.
The criminal couple pose on a night-out
Bruyea poses on a beach wearing a black leather bikini paired with Louis Vuitton sandals
Smiling, the couple pose at a pool party while on holiday. Both were found guilty of conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation between January 2022 and January 2023
The couple also appeared to have gone on a trip to Croatia, where they took jet skis out on the water
‘We will now look to forfeit the proceeds of their crimes to try and help compensate those who went through this.’
The pair were first noticed by a lone police officer who had noticed a pattern and flagged it to experts in economic crime.
Police officers based in Lewisham went on to trace the pair’s phones, cars and faces on CCTV linking all the crimes together.