A TEENAGER who robbed two fellow young Tube passengers with a knife in broad daylight has been sent to a Youth Offenders' Institute for seven years.
The 16-year-old, who is from Harrow and cannot be named for legal reasons, was aboard a Metropolitan line on April 24 when he began to stair at a 17-year-old boy, who noticed he was being watched as the train pulled into Wembley Park Station.
The robber then sat next to his older victim and showed him a knife before demanding the victim's mobile telephone and body warmer.
Two days later the 16-year-old struck again on a Metropolitan line train travelling between Rayners Lane and Finchley Road Stations.
The defendant sat opposite the victim, a 16-year-old boy from Uxbridge, before producing a knife and threatening to stab him.
At first the victim refused to give him anything but when the defendant began counting down from 10 the victim handed over £20 in cash, his watch and his mobile telephone.
A further two days later and a British Transport Police officer patrolling at Rayners Lane Station recognised the perpetrator and arrested him after a foot chase.
The 16-year-old thief admitted two counts of robbery and two of possessing a knife and was sentenced at Blackfriars Crown Court on Tuesday last week to 84 months in a Young Offenders' Institute.
Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Sergeant Thomas Madden, the investigating officer, said: “This was a terrifying ordeal for both victims, who feared they would be stabbed if they didn’t hand over their belongings.
“Carrying a weapon on the railway network is completely unacceptable and BTP takes it very seriously. Anyone caught with a weapon will be arrested and prosecuted.
“While violent crime on the Tube is fortunately very rare, any incident like this is unacceptable and we will do everything in our power to bring offenders to justice.”
