A pair of violent and prolific criminals have been jailed for more than 30 years for a series of offences including burglary and attempted kidnap around Kensington and Chelsea.

Unemployed Jonathon Finnegan, 25, of Princess Alice House, Dalgarno Way, North Kensington was jailed at Isleworth Crown Court yesterday (October 6) for 18 and a half years for robbery, attempted robbery, aggravated burglary, possession of an imitation firearm, attempted kidnap and drugs offences.

Dail Sillah, 30, also unemployed, and of no fixed address, was jailed for 10 years for aggravated burglary and two years for possession of an imitation firearm to run consecutively.

Their sentencing comes after a spree of crimes, which started in April, 2013, when Finnegan and another man tried to rob a 38-year-old mother of two had just dropped her eldest daughter at school and was taking her who was walking her younger five-year-old son to his school along Pembridge Place, Notting Hill when she saw two males walking towards her and the other from behind.

They dragged her to the floor and tried to pull her jewellery off, including her wedding ring from her finger. The woman screamed for help and kicked out in defence.

Both men then made off in a stolen grey Jaguar which was later found abandoned. The woman’s son witnessed the incident but fortunately was not injured, and his mother had a dislocated shoulder and a broken finger. Finnegan was identified fro CCTV footage.

On August 10, 2013, a 56-year-old woman who has run a Portobello Road market stall for 40 years was robbed at gunpoint by Finnegan and Sillah in her own home in Treverton Street, Ladbroke Grove at around 9pm when she heard a noise in the hallway.

She got up to investigate and came face-to-face with a man in a black ski mask who shouted at her to ‘get back’.

The other man then came into the room pointing a handgun at her then made off with money, a mobile phone and keys.

On September 1, 2013, a 36-year-old woman had returned home to Shirland Road, in Maida Vale, after shopping and as she got to her front door Finnegan grabbed her from behind and dragged her to the floor where he tried to grab her £25,000 Rolex Daytona watch.

She kicked and punched Finnegan who ran off and he was eventually identified from forensic evidence left at the scene.

Finnegan’s crime spree finally came to an end on September 5, 2013, by which stage he was wanted for a number of offences.

A stolen vehicle was sighted by police in Abercorn Place, St John’s Wood, and failed to stop so police pursued Finnegan who jumped out of the car and ran into a Honda Civic driven by an elderly man.

Finnegan demanded the man drive him away from the police but he refused and officers surrounded the car and arrested him. He pleaded not guilty to attempted kidnap but was found guilty by a jury on Valentines Day, 2014.

Finnegan had already pleaded guilty in March, 2013 at Maidstone Crown Court after he helped rob Mr G’s amusements in Leysdown on Sea, Kent on June 29, 2013.

Him and two other masked men wielding an axe and snooker cue entered the fruit machine area at midday shouting ‘where’s the money?’. They opened the safe using the key they found in a drawer and stole nearly £3,000.

DC Tony Dunne, from Kensington and Chelsea Serious Crime Unit, said: “Finnegan and Sillah have today been handed significant sentences for a number of violent offences including the attempted robbery of a mother in front of her five-year-old son which left him traumatised. He is still feeling the effects of this a year later.

“Finnegan’s reckless efforts to escape police were stopped due to the bravery of a member of the public, who had the courage to stand up to his threats bringing his crime spree to an end. Finnegan and Sillah’s offences were violent and they have now received the long custodial sentence they fully deserve.

“The consequences are clear. Those who commit violent offences can expect a significant term of imprisonment. We have removed two violent individuals from the streets of London.”

Detective Sergeant Driss Hayoukane, head of the Serious Crime Proactive Unit at Kensington and Chelsea, said: “I would like to commend DC Tony Dunne, DC Shon Young and the officers from the Proactive Unit for their hard work in securing the convictions for these two dangerous individuals who have now been taken off the streets.”

Finnegan was re-arrested on October 18, 2013 after being released from custody and Sillah was arrested on November 26, 2013.