Grandad getaway driver took bandits on phone raids in his mobility car

An aging getaway driver used his mobility scheme car to drive a gang of mobile phone bandits to a series of terrifying raids.

Thomas Davidson, 72, had a brand new £40,000 Vauxhall Grandland SUV from the scheme, which has been widely abused by fraudsters for years.

Footage shows three teenagers wearing hoodies ransacking the shelves of a store cupboard at the O2 store in Colliers Wood, southwest London, on 7 June, moments after they threatened shop staff.

Davidson was driving Govera, accomplice Sammie Govera, 32 and three teenagers in the Vauxhall to an O2 store in Sutton, on 9 June when police officers blocked the mobility vehicle to arrest them all.

Gang leader Govera, 32, used social media to recruit teenagers and gave his orders through a Snapchat group he called ‘8.30am’.

The bandits robbed six phone shops across London last spring using Davidson and eyepatch-wearing Saleem Razman, 49, as their getaway drivers, Croydon crown court heard.

The crime spree began on 28 May when masked men entered the Three store in Lewisham and demanded access to the storeroom. Staff triggered the panic alarm and the thieves fled.

Latet that day a masked bandit forced his way into the office back-room of the Three store in Woolwich.

He helped himself to £30,000 worth of phones and escaped with an accomplice.

On 3 June six masked robbers entered the Three store in Wood Green.

They threatened staff, accessed the backroom safe and grabbed phones.

Two days later four masked men forced entry into the storeroom at O2 in Haringey and thieved boxes of phones before escaping.

On 7 June they entered an O2 store in Sutton and demanded access to the backroom. Staff activated the panic alarm and the group fled.

Three masked thieves tried to rob the same O2 store in Sutton while under covert police surveillance.

Officers arrested them at the scene.

Govera, of Newport, South Wales, earlier admitted conspiracy to rob at Croydon Crown Court.

Davidson, of Southmead, Bristol and Ramzan, of Manchester, Louis Pandanzyla, 18, of Upminster, Essex and a 16-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, denied but were conspiracy to rob.

They will return for sentence at Croydon Crown Court on 15 July.

A total of ten people have now been convicted of involvement in the robbery spree.

Detective Chief Inspector Laura Hillier, from the Met’s Flying Squad, said:

‘We know how much distress these crimes cause staff and the wider impact they have on businesses in our community, which is why we are absolutely determined to stop this offending.

‘Our detectives worked quickly, trawling through CCTV, phone data and forensic evidence to identify and arrest these thieves.

‘Their convictions should serve as a clear message to anyone who thinks they can carry out robberies: we will find you and we will bring you to justice.

‘Londoners deserve to feel safe in their communities and we will continue to use every tool available – including working with retail and industry partners – to protect them and ensure these violent criminals are taken off our streets.’

Stuart Seymour, Director of Security at Virgin Media O2, said: ‘The safety of our people and our customers is always our number one priority, and we won’t sit back while criminal gangs use intimidation and violence against them.

‘These convictions, which we’ve worked hand in hand with law enforcement to secure, show that targeting mobile phone stores absolutely does not pay and we’re pleased to see these criminals brought to justice.

‘We have built, enhanced and improved security measures within stores and developed mechanisms with the police to ensure faster reaction times and evidence gathering leading to arrests. We will not cease fighting back and protecting our people and customers.’