Robbers nailed by the pictures they took of their loot
Two armed robbers were caught after police found images of them posing with stolen watches on an accomplices’ phone, a court heard.
Kaijuan Henry, 19, and Roshan Clark, 18, were part of a gang of six teenagers who grabbed jewellery and luxury watches in a series of raids across southwest London.
The robbers used a stolen BMW on false plates to carry out their crimes, threatening their victims with weapons, Isleworth Crown Court heard.
Armed with a large serrated knife and a crow bar Clark and Henry ambushed a man on Old Church Street, Chelsea, on December 21, 2021.
They forced him to hand over his £1,500 Tag Heuer watch.
Less than an hour later, the gang of robbers chased a man in Balham with a large Zombie knife, before beating him and taking his bag.
Clark and Henry forced two men sitting at a pub table to hand over their watches, worth around £35,000 each later that day.
Three other gang members Jessy Ouma, 18, and Joseph Opoku, 19, and Zakariah Yusuf, 19, robbed a couple in Draycott Avenue, Chelsea, on January 9 last year.
They wielded a large machete and smashed the male victim in the face, causing multiple fractures.
His Tag Heuer watch, worth £1,150 was stolen while the woman’s £6,000 Rolex watch and
Bulgari ring was also taken.
The couple gave police the BMW’s registration number and shortly afterwards, officers saw the getaway car driven by 29-year-old Michael Ahmed.
He crashed into a wooden fence near the junction of Dornton Road and Culverdon Road and the occupants of the car ran away.
But Ahmed left his house keys, phone and a bank card in the car while Yusuf left his jacket and phone.
The machete used in the robberies was also found in the BMW along with a tracksuit top with distinctive markings worn by Ahmed.
When Ouma was arrested, officer seized his phone and found photos of Henry and Clark posing with the stolen watches.
Ahmed, from Balham, admitted six robberies and was found guilty of possessing an offensive weapon and dangerous driving.
Henry, from Dagenham, was found guilty of four robberies and Ouma, of Battersea, was found guilty of two robberies on 9 January.
Yusuf, Opoku and Clark all of the Winstanley Estate, Wandsworth, had earlier admitted
their parts in the spate of robberies.
‘These men carried out multiple violent robberies which left many of those targeted fearing for their lives,’ said Detective Sergeant Gary Taylor, one of the investigating Flying Squad officers.
‘Their attacks were brazen, took place on busy streets and I have no doubt they would have gone on to commit further crimes if they had not been quickly caught.
‘We know the impact these crimes have on each and every victim and our team worked tirelessly to ensure we identified those responsible and brought them to justice.
‘Those who live in and visit our city should not have to go about their daily lives in fear of thieves. Sadly we know there has been a rise in these types of offences and we would urge people to remain aware of their surroundings and where possible to keep valuables out of sight.
‘We are pleased that a dangerous gang has been taken off our streets and our city will be safer now that these six men are facing a considerable period behind bars.
‘This case also shows the importance of reporting a robbery as soon as it happens and we would urge anyone who is the victim of a similar crime, or anyone who sees a robbery taking place, to call us immediately. This makes a significant impact on our ability to catch those responsible and prevent them from causing any further harm.’
They will return to Isleworth crown court for sentencing on a date to be set.
