Menu
20/07/2010
Five Jailed For Oxford Street Smash And Grab
Five men, who stole over £325,000 worth of designer watches following a smash and grab raid at an Oxford Street jewellers, have been jailed for a total of 26 years.
Anthony Michael Leader, 20, of Sidmouth Street, Bloomsbury and Reed Roberts, 19, of Cubitt Street, Bloomsbury were jailed for four years; Matthew Pitt, 26, of Fleet Road, Camden and Craig Wallace, 22, of Sussex Way, islington were jailed for six years; and Kether Whatley, 23, of Clock View Crescent, Islington, was jailed for five years, with a further one year sentence, to run consecutively, for handling stolen goods from a separate robbery.
The robbery took place at the Ernest Jones store on Oxford Street on September 5, 2009. Three motorbikes, all carrying a pillion passenger, mounted the pavement outside the store, as staff were dressing the windows before opening.
The passengers then got off the bike and used sledgehammers to break a side window and steal 46 Breitling and Rolex watches, worth a total of £332,010, before fleeing across Oxford Street on the bikes, riding across the pavement through crowds of pedestrians and heading north up Marylebone Lane.
An off duty police officer captured footage of their escape on his mobile phone.
Officers from Westminster were called to a garage block on the Triangle Estate in Islington later that day after a group of motorbikes travelling at speed were spotted in the area.
They were seen leaving them in a lock-up garage on the estate. Inside one of the garages, officers found four stolen motorbikes, a claw hammer, an empty helmet bag and clothing.
Five men were arrested an all pleaded guilty at Southwark Crown Court on June 25. The sixth suspect has not been caught.
Commenting on the convictions, Detective Sergeant Richard Baker of the Westminster Crime Squad, said: "By getting these five men off the streets I am sure we have prevented a significant number of further smash and grabs from occurring in central London and, in the process, helped to reassure West End retailers that we take this problem very seriously and are continuing to reduce the number of incidents that occur."
(KMcA/GK)
Anthony Michael Leader, 20, of Sidmouth Street, Bloomsbury and Reed Roberts, 19, of Cubitt Street, Bloomsbury were jailed for four years; Matthew Pitt, 26, of Fleet Road, Camden and Craig Wallace, 22, of Sussex Way, islington were jailed for six years; and Kether Whatley, 23, of Clock View Crescent, Islington, was jailed for five years, with a further one year sentence, to run consecutively, for handling stolen goods from a separate robbery.
The robbery took place at the Ernest Jones store on Oxford Street on September 5, 2009. Three motorbikes, all carrying a pillion passenger, mounted the pavement outside the store, as staff were dressing the windows before opening.
The passengers then got off the bike and used sledgehammers to break a side window and steal 46 Breitling and Rolex watches, worth a total of £332,010, before fleeing across Oxford Street on the bikes, riding across the pavement through crowds of pedestrians and heading north up Marylebone Lane.
An off duty police officer captured footage of their escape on his mobile phone.
Officers from Westminster were called to a garage block on the Triangle Estate in Islington later that day after a group of motorbikes travelling at speed were spotted in the area.
They were seen leaving them in a lock-up garage on the estate. Inside one of the garages, officers found four stolen motorbikes, a claw hammer, an empty helmet bag and clothing.
Five men were arrested an all pleaded guilty at Southwark Crown Court on June 25. The sixth suspect has not been caught.
Commenting on the convictions, Detective Sergeant Richard Baker of the Westminster Crime Squad, said: "By getting these five men off the streets I am sure we have prevented a significant number of further smash and grabs from occurring in central London and, in the process, helped to reassure West End retailers that we take this problem very seriously and are continuing to reduce the number of incidents that occur."
(KMcA/GK)
Related UK National News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.
28 May 2013
1 In 5 High Street Shops 'Could Close' By 2015
A new study has found one in five of Britain's high street shops could close by 2018. It is thought one of the factors behind the shop closures is because more people are turning to the internet to carry out their shopping.
1 In 5 High Street Shops 'Could Close' By 2015
A new study has found one in five of Britain's high street shops could close by 2018. It is thought one of the factors behind the shop closures is because more people are turning to the internet to carry out their shopping.
15 February 2008
Man Arrested Over London Taxi Rapes
Police investigating a series of attacks in London by a rapist who picks up his victims in a black taxi cab have arrested a man. Scotland Yard confirmed that the suspect, who is aged in his 40s, was arrested at an address in southeast London. He is currently being questioned.
Man Arrested Over London Taxi Rapes
Police investigating a series of attacks in London by a rapist who picks up his victims in a black taxi cab have arrested a man. Scotland Yard confirmed that the suspect, who is aged in his 40s, was arrested at an address in southeast London. He is currently being questioned.
03 October 2003
2,000 extra deaths recorded during August heat wave
The Office of National Statistics (ONS) has reported that, during the recent heat wave, there were more than 2,000 deaths over and above the monthly average. On each of the 10 days from August 4 to August 13, estimated numbers of deaths in England and Wales were above average for those days over the last five years.
2,000 extra deaths recorded during August heat wave
The Office of National Statistics (ONS) has reported that, during the recent heat wave, there were more than 2,000 deaths over and above the monthly average. On each of the 10 days from August 4 to August 13, estimated numbers of deaths in England and Wales were above average for those days over the last five years.
08 June 2006
Sentence increased for baby rapist
A man who raped a 12-week-old baby girl has had his minimum jail term increased from six years to eight years by the Court of Appeal.
Sentence increased for baby rapist
A man who raped a 12-week-old baby girl has had his minimum jail term increased from six years to eight years by the Court of Appeal.
06 November 2014
Man Dies In Department Store Fall
A man has died after falling from a third-floor escalator in a Debenhams department store on Oxford Street. According to reports police and ambulance services were called to the central London store at about 18:15 on Wednesday night to reports of a "serious incident".
Man Dies In Department Store Fall
A man has died after falling from a third-floor escalator in a Debenhams department store on Oxford Street. According to reports police and ambulance services were called to the central London store at about 18:15 on Wednesday night to reports of a "serious incident".
-
Northern Ireland WeatherToday:It will be cloudy again throughout the day. Mainly dry in the morning, but patchy drizzle in places, becoming more widespread and persistent in the afternoon. Freshening southwesterly winds. Maximum temperature 12 °C.Tonight:Cloudy with a spell of heavy rain pushing south through late evening and the early hours, followed by some clear spells. Minimum temperature 6 °C.
