'Porch pirate' Ronald De-St-Aubin, 61, pleads guilty after judge watches residents' 'doorbell footage dossier' in court

From the Newshound archive · first published 9 October 2026.

Ronald De-St-Aubin, 61, had initially denied all six theft charges at Isleworth Crown Court until Judge Martin Edmunds KC looked up from the Ring doorbell footage and asked his barrister: 'Has he seen it?' De-St-Aubin immediately replied 'Judge, I am changing my plea' and returned guilty on all counts thirty minutes later.

Parsons Green residents dubbed him 'our thief' and built a dossier of doorbell and CCTV footage after the Met said initially there was not enough evidence to arrest him.

De-St-Aubin, of Fulham, stole wine, champagne, designer clothes and homeware across a month-long spree — all while visibly wearing an ankle tag for previous offences.

The judge told him: 'My principal concern is at what point you are going to stop committing offences and what the court can do to bring that date forward.'