A ‘crazed’ bandit ‘possessed by the devil’ subject

A ‘crazed’ bandit ‘possessed by the devil’ subjected four
victims to frightening knife point robbery ordeals in three
days, a court heard.

Twenty-year-old student Oliver Coombs was slashed across the
arm by manic George Sophocleous when he could only cough
up 51p.

Snaresbrook Crown Court was told that by chance minicab driver
Kamal Arslen saw Sophocleous, 28, in the street the day
after he was robbed by him and alerted police.

Judge Lawrence Marshall commended the brave cabbie for his ‘alert
actions on the day in question.

‘
Unemployed labourer Sophocleous, of Abingdon Close, Camden,
pleaded guilty to four charges of robbery.

Judge Marshall adjourned sentence until March 10 for psychiatric
and social enquiry reports to be compiled.

The court heard how at 5.

10pm on September 29 last year, Mr
Coombs was walking alongside the Grand Union Canal near Camden Lock
when he was approached by Sophocleous who asked for directions.

But as Mr Coombs answered, the defendant pulled a six inch bladed
kitchen knife from his jacket and demanded his wallet, said Mr Martyn
Bowyer, prosecuting.

‘He explained he was a student and showed that what he had was
only 51p in change,’ continued counsel.

Sophocleous became angry and threw the victim’s keys in the
canal.

And his cash card found the same watery grave when he told the
defendant he would not be able to get cash from his bank because he
was overdrawn.

‘Then totally unprovoked he slashed at him.

He warned him not to
go to police,’ said Mr Bowyer.

Mr Coombs was left with cuts to his left arm and later needed 11
stitches to one of the wounds.

In a nearby spot the next day at about 6.

10pm, TV producer Sarah
Hargreaves, was on her way home from work and was asked directions by
Sophocleous.

The court heard that Miss Hargreaves, 35, was threatened with the
kitchen knife and forced to hand over her pnds stlg 150 handbag and
contents including pnds stlg 80 in cash.

The victim was ‘extremely upset’ and aided shortly afterwards by
a television journalist, said counsel.

Later that day at 10.

30pm minicab driver Mr Arslen agreed to take
the defendant from Bayham Street in Camden to the nearby Maiden Lane
Estate.

‘He drove down a dead end road and was forced to stop.

‘Sophocleous pulled the knife from his jacket and held it to the
victim,’ continued Mr Bowyer.

The court heard that he made off with pnds stlg 20 after
threatening Mr Arslen with ‘dire consequences’ if he went to police.

And at 3.

40pm on October 1, teacher Liviu Galbinski (correct)
became Sophocleous’s final victim in Gloucester Avenue, Primrose Hill.

Brandishing the knife the defendant forced Mr Galbinski, 45, to
hand over his wallet, and then forcibly escorted him to a Barclays
Bank cash machine in Camden High Street.

‘Mr Galbinski thought it was sensible to co-operate,’ added
counsel.

Sophocleous was able to withdraw pnds stlg 200 using his victim’s
cash card before running off towards the Camden Town tube station.

He had also taken Mr Galbinski’s watch.

But coincidentally about 30 minutes later, quick thinking Mr
Arslen saw the defendant in Bayham Street and had the presence of mind
to contact police.

And officers arrested him in nearby Royal College Street and
found pnds stlg 210 and Mr Galbinski’s watch on him.

The court was told that Sophocleous had previous convictions for
violence but none for robbery.

His defence counsel Miss Sandra Pontac said that just before the
offences, a close friend had died and his long term girlfriend had
left him.

Miss Pontac explained that he started drinking more heavily than
before while taking pain killers, tranquillisers and ‘sleepers.

‘
Counsel added: ‘He was crazed at the time.

It was as though he
was possessed by the devil.

‘
ends
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