A GANG of 11 men behind a string of betting shop and amusement arcade robberies have been locked up for a total of 44 years.
The organised criminals staged six raids in Hammersmith and Fulham, three in Paddington and one in Ladbroke Grove, and netted £136,000 in a two-year crime spree targeting more than 70 premises across the whole of London.
Staff and customers were barged aside and threatened with violence as teams of four robbers 'steamed' inside and used crowbars to rip open gaming machines containing the most cash, with one man acting as a lookout and blocking the door.
Four of the raids were mounted in North End Road, Fulham. Agora Amusements was hit twice in October 2006 and April 2008, and two robberies took place within a month at Shoppers Pride Amusements, in October and November 2007.
The Coral bookmaker's in Hammersmith Road, West Kensington, was targeted in March 2008, along with a branch of Caesar's World in Shepherd's Bush one month later.
A branch of Coral in Edgware Road, Paddington, was targeted three times during March and April 2008, while Coral in Ladbroke Grove was hit once in April last year.
Police finally ended the gang's run after a member of the public noted down part of the number plate of a blue Ford Puma used in a robbery last May, sparking an undercover operation. Four of the group were then arrested while trying to rob a bookmaker's in Peckham.
All 11 men ultimately admitted their part in the scam, pleading guilty to 107 charges relating to 72 offences.
The robbers - Spencer Rowe, Anthony Edwards, Richard Davis, Steven Mullings, Marcus Nettleford, Gavin Francis, Devon Anderson, Jason Graham, Hugh Atkins, Kevin Dwyer and Tesfa Jones – were each sentenced to between three and five-and-a-half years at Kingston Crown Court last Friday.(29) All the men are in their late 20s or 30s and are from different parts of London.
Detective chief inspector Pam Mace, of Barnes Flying Squad, said: "These men used intimidation to control the situation and ensure they could carry out their crimes without resistance.
"They were motivated by greed, damaging property and causing considerable distress for a relatively small amount of money when split between the group. The evidence collected against them was overwhelming and I am pleased they chose to plead guilty and save the considerable expense of a trial.
"This is an example of one member of the public going out of their way to assist the police and it leading to the identification of a gang of prolific robbers. I have no doubt that these individuals would have continued offending if they had not been caught."
