TEEN MUGGER TARGETED LONE WOMEN IN STREET ROBBERIES

A 16-year-old mugger targeted four lone young women metres from his home and sexually assaulted one of his victims, a court heard today (mon).

Usually armed with a blade the teenager pounced after dark, grabbing victims from behind and swiping their possessions, jurors were told.

His second victim, a university student, suffered the humiliation of being stripped to her underwear after he decided her bag was not enough and held a knife to her throat, it is claimed.

After taking their possessions the hoodie would then run into his nearby home near Tottenham Court Road, to go through their valuables and dispose of their handbags, Blackfriars Crown Court heard.

A friend of his last victim called police after allegedly watching him flee into the flat, said Rachel Ellis, prosecuting.

She told the jury the youngster was arrested as he lay in bed in a room containing two of the Oyster cards he had stolen during the fortnight-long spree in October and November last year.

The barrister said: ‘There are four robberies over a two-week period and they are all committed on women.

‘The second robbery also involved a sexual assault.

‘All but the first involved the threat of a knife.

‘All occurred in the same area of London, near Tottenham Court Road, yards from the defendant’s home address.

‘Following the fourth and final robbery the assailant was chased by the victim’s friend and found to go into a block of flats.

‘Nobody else had entered between her seeing him and the police arriving.

‘Police were called and entered the defendant’s address and found a number of Oyster cards, including the ones stolen on the first and fourth occasion.

‘The final victim positively identified him at an identification procedure.’

The prosecutor said the features of the second and third attacks were ‘so similar’ to these that if a jury finds the teenager guilty of the others, they can take this into account when considering the remaining verdicts.

University College London student Rebecca Inoue told the jury she was attacked in the early hours of October 19 last year as she was making her way home from Soho where she had been studying.

The 20-year-old thought she may be being followed by a figure who was ‘walking fast’ behind her in Torrington Place.

‘I crossed the road so I could see him properly,’ she said.

‘I looked back and I couldn’t see him which concerned me.

‘I started looking for my keys so I could defend myself and get into my house properly.

‘I was panicking a bit, I was searching for my keys for quite a long time.

‘I just got them and I heard the footsteps of someone running up behind me.

‘I half turned towards him and he just grabbed me.

‘He had his hand over my chin and mouth and pulled my head back into his shoulder.

‘I was surprised and shocked.

‘He was saying: ‘Shut up,’ incessantly.

‘I thought he might have a weapon but when I realised he didn’t, I jabbed my keys repeatedly into his arm, as much as I could.

‘After a while I thought it wasn’t having any effect but he suddenly let go and sort of threw me.

‘We were facing each other.

‘He ran at me and grabbed my bag .

‘He ran off.’

Ms Inoue lost two mobile phones, her Visa card, student card, Oyster card Young Person’s Railcard and several other items in the robbery.

The Oyster and student card were recovered in the raid.

The following day he sexually assaulted his second robbery victim, said Ms Ellis.

The student, who cannot be named, was on her way home when she crossed paths with the 16-year-old in Ridgemount Gardens, jurors heard.

But moments later she heard ‘running footsteps’, and the same person grabbed her.

‘She told him he could have her bag,’ said the prosecutor.

‘But she realised he wasn’t going to take it.

‘He showed her a knife.

‘She was repeatedly told to shut up.

‘He pointed her knife in her face and said: ‘Shut up or I’ll cut you.’

‘He put his arm around her shoulders.

‘He told her to walk.

‘He pushed her into a gravel area between two houses.

‘She threw her bag down hoping he would retrieve it but he didn’t.

‘He told her to pull up her top.

‘She refused but then she pulled it up, exposing her stomach and her bra.

‘She was asked to remove her bra.

‘He used both hands to touch her stomach, chest and back.

‘He asked her to take off her jeans.

‘He threatened her with a knife, holding the blade against her cheek, running it along her face and held the edge of the blade on her neck.

‘He stepped towards her, pulled down her jeans to her thighs and put  his hand inside her underwear.’

The attacker than asked: ‘If I put my d*** in you will you call police?’, and kissed her cheek.

But she heard him drop the knife and took the opportunity to run away screaming to a friend’s house.

On October 26 the teenager allegedly mugged Kristal Radjpaul for £20 and on November 1 he preyed on Nancy Suarez, swiping her handbag and contents.

The 16-year-old, of Bloomsbury, west London, denies three counts of robbery and one sexual assault.

The trial continues.