'Role Model' Jailed For Armed Robbery

A self proclaimed 'role model' and owner of an urban music clothing line has been jailed for 11 years after a series of armed robberies in South London.

Ismail Farouk Abbas, 26, of Danbrook Road, Streatham, was convicted for orchestrating an armed robbery at the T Mobile store in Rye Lane, Peckham on July 2010 where staff were threatened with imitation guns and 72 Blackberry mobiles and £4,500 cash was taken.

Police said that Abbas liked to pose with celebrity clients and promoted himself as a businessman and role model to young people.

Abbas, who claimed that he wanted to set up his own youth foundation to 'give back to the community', even tried to affiliate himself in court with top Premiership footballer Rio Ferdinand's charity, Live the Dream.

He was jailed for six years on Friday 13 January 2012 after being convicted of one count of robbery at the T-mobile store in Rye Lane, Peckham on 4 July 2010 and one count of possession of an imitation firearm on the same date after trial at Inner London Crown Court.

He was sentenced to another five years, to run consecutively, after being convicted of a further count of robbery in relation to a separate offence - the robbery of a cash in transit security van at Texaco Garage, Streatham Road, Streatham on July 28, 2010 - just weeks after the T Mobile phone shop job.

Four associates also stood trial alongside Abbas for their part in the T mobile store robbery. They were: Melvin OKeny, 20, of White City Estate, who was convicted of robbery and possession of an imitation firearm; and Patrick Asufu-Adjaye, 22 of Thurlow Street, Camberwell, who was convicted of robbery. Both were jailed for five years and four and a half years respectively.

Senior Investigating officer, Detective Inspector Lee Hill of the London Crime Squad said: "We know that Abbas portrayed himself as a role model - for instance, he talked in a magazine interview about wanting to set up his own youth organisation. He also claimed during the trial that he worked with the Rio Ferdinand Live the Dream Foundation.

"Essentially it boiled down to the fact that he went to a black tie dinner and offered to make ten exclusive branded t-shirts for the foundation free of charge. When we contacted Live the Dream, they had never heard of him."

(DW/GK)