British teacher jailed over phone theft in Saigon

A court in Ho Chi Minh City handed the sentence to Adam Michael Nowicki, 36, on a theft of property charge on Thursday.

Police escort Adam Michael Nowicki as he leaves the court in Ho Chi Minh City on July 9, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Anh Duy.

According to the verdict, Nowicki had visited a massage parlor on Bui Vien Street in the District 1 backpacker precinct on March 8 where he noticed an iPhone 11, priced at VND28 million ($1,200) at local shops, left on a chair.

He subsequently pocketed the device which belonged to a female receptionist at the facility.

Following the receptionist's chase, Nowicki finally dropped her phone in the street.

The culprit admitted the crime and told the court he had been dealing with "mental issues" since age 18, calling for mitigation.

Nowicki, a teacher at an English language center in the city, holds several criminal records related to fraud back in the U.K., investigation found.