Group of men, behind series of knife point robberies in South West London, jailed
They used a stolen car with fake plates
A group of men, who committed a series of knifepoint robberies in South West London, have been jailed for a combined total of 24-years.
It's following an investigation from the local robbery team, and The Met Police's Flying Squad.
The group used a stolen BMW, with false plates to carry out their crimes, in each case threatening the victims with a large knife or machete before stealing items including watches and bags.
Three of the robberies happened on the 21st December 2021, and the fourth on the 9th January 2022.
Michael Malik Ahmed, 29 (10.02.94) of Little Dimocks, Balham, was sentenced to six years and nine months after pleading guilty to six counts of robbery – four on 21 December 2021 and two on 9 January 2022.
At the trial, which concluded on Monday, 13 February at Isleworth Crown Court, Ahmed was also found guilty of possessing an offensive weapon used in the attacks, as well as dangerous driving.
At the same trial, Kaijuan Henry, 19 (17.06.03) of Woodward Road, Dagenham was found guilty of being involved in the December robberies, while Jessy Ouma, 18 (18.08.04) of Patmore Estate, Wandsworth was found guilty of being involved in the robberies on 9 January.
Henry was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment while Ouma was sentenced to four years.
Zakariah Yusuf, 19 (25.01.04), Joseph Opoku, 19 (27.05.03) and Roshan Clark, 19 (02.03.04), all of the Winstanley Estate, had previously pleaded guilty to being involved.
Detective Sergeant Gary Taylor, from the Met’s Flying Squad, said: “The custodial sentences handed down today will ultimately make London a safer place for everyone as these men will now serve time behind bars for their actions.
“These young men terrified both their victims and the witnesses who saw them carrying out these appalling crimes in broad daylight. Each defendant had absolutely no regard for the victims and did not consider the lasting impact their robberies would have on them for week and months to come. I commend all the victims for their bravery in coming forward and confronting their attackers in court.
In a statement read to the court during sentencing, one of the victims said: “I was outraged that a senseless act of completely unnecessary and unprovoked physical and emotional violence was perpetrated on my husband, and myself, in the heart of London, in the middle of the afternoon, on a street with several families and their kids.
“While I was not injured, I was both shocked and terrified during the brief period of the ordeal.
“Since then I have been continually worrying about the need to appear in court and ‘confront’ the assailants again.”
None of the stolen property has ever been recovered.