Two masked robbers involved in the bungled hi-jack

Two masked robbers involved in the bungled hi-jacking of a van carrying pnds stlg 50,000 of mobile phones were jailed for a total of 16-and-a-half years today.

Saffa Hammuda, 27, and Oscar Campbell, 29, were part of a five-strong gang who smashed the windows of an SMS Worldwide Express vehicle with a hammer.

They bundled Gary Barnes, the SMS operations manager, and driver Martin Owen, 54, into the back of a waiting blue transit van.

Both men said they feared they might be killed when bin liners were pulled over their heads.

The raiders then drove the vans away at high speed but they crashed both vehicles into a traffic island in Chelsea, Blackfriars Crown Court heard.

Campbell had claimed both Mr Owen and Mr Barnes were in on the ‘inside job’.

But just a day into the trial Campbell gave up his defence and both he and Hammuda admitted robbery on April 17 this year.

Judge Timothy Pontius gave the pair credit for not engaging in a ‘fruitless attempt to pull the wool over the jury’s eyes’.

He added: ‘There is in my view no basis whatsoever to any allegation of any complicity to any extent at all to be laid at either Gary Barnes or Martin Owen.

‘They were and remain as you recognise in your pleas of guilty wholly innocent victims of a serious and extremely frightening robbery.

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The judge said in his view the robbery was ‘carefully planned and precisely executed, that van having been specifically executed.

‘With at least five robbers being involved, intimidation by sheer force of numbers meant the use of weapons was unnecessary.

‘Mr Barnes and Mr Owen were dragged from their van, the windscreen having been smashed by a hammer.

‘They were bundled in the back of the van, their hands were tied, and their heads were covered.

‘We in this court can only guess at the very real fear they must have felt not knowing how matters would end.

‘Mr Barnes told the jury yesterday that after the event he was in total shock and was numb with disbelief.

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The judge jailed Hammuda for seven and a half years and sentenced Campbell to nine years imprisonment.

Rebecca Harris, prosecuting, said the robbers pulled in front of the target vehicle with their battered blue transit van on Cheyne Row Chelsea.

‘The driver and the front passenger of the blue van got out of the Transit van and out of the rear doors three or four other men jumped out.

‘They were wearing woolly hats and face masks.

The group of men ran twoards the SMS Mercedes van.

‘One of the men, Hammuda, had a hammer in his hand and used it to smash the van’s windscreen,’ Miss Harris said.

‘They were shouting, ”Get out of the f***ing van and they opened the driver and passengers door and dragged Mr Owen and Mr Barnes out.

‘They were bundled into the back of the blue transit van.

‘Mr Barnes was punched to the floor.

Both men had their arms tied behind their backs and had black bin liners shoved over their heads.

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But the robbers’ getaway was spoilt by a traffic jam, Miss Harris said.

In their bid to escape down Oakley Street, Chelsea, they drove at high speed on the wrong side of the road.

The white van carrying the mobiles in front crashed into a traffic island, and the robber’s blue transit rear-ended the white van.

Both Hammuda and Campbell jumped from the rear of the Transit van and ran down the Kings Road.

Hammuda was caught by an officer with the help of a taxi driver.

‘He still had his face mask around his neck,’ Miss Harris said.

Campbell was caught in the courtyard of Chelsea Art College, also ‘wearing a face mask,’ she said.

They were the only two to be arrested for the raid.

SMS Worldwide Express, was based on an industrial estate in Hanworth, Middx, at the time of the raid.

The van was carrying out a delivery for Paul’s Freight to the Mobilix dealership in Lots Road, Chelsea.

Mr Barnes, operations manager for SMS, now based in Kent, said after the hearing that he thought it ‘could have been curtains’ for him.

‘I’m glad it’s over and I can start my life again.

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Mr Owen added: ‘I thought it was a definite possibility we were going to get killed.

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Hammuda, of (284) Church Road, Northolt and Campbell, of (19) Community Road, Greenford both admitted robbery on April 17 this year.

A charge of false imprisonment was ordered to lie on the court file.

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