Two men who threatened a man with hammers and stole his watch while riding a stolen moped in Westminster have been jailed on Wednesday (March 28).
Osita Okoli, 19, of Marshall Street, Westminster, was sentenced to seven years imprisonment at Southwark Crown Court after pleading guilty to conspiracy to steal and conspiracy to rob.
Tyler House, 19, of Dalmeny Road, Islington, pleaded guilty to robbery and a moped-enabled snatch offence and was given a sentence of two years and eight months on Wednesday.
On June 4 last year, a man was standing on the pavement in Edgware Road at around 3pm with his camera equipment on his shoulder when a moped mounted the pavement and drove towards him.
Moped-enabled crime in London
The riders of the moped – Okoli and another unknown person – grabbed the man's £15,000 camera, causing him to get caught up in the strap as he was dragged 50 metres along the road.
The victim got himself free but was left with serious injuries, including a dislocated shoulder.
Two days later, at around 11pm, Okoli and House were riding a stolen moped when they threatened a man with hammers and stole his watch in Crawford Place, police said.
Members of the public intervened, meaning the pair abandoned the stolen moped and fled the scene.
Police seized the moped and recovered clothing from under the seat. Both Okoli and House were identified by forensic evidence and CCTV footage.
Footage was recovered by Metropolitan Police following the 25 offences committed between April and September 2017, which identified Okoli.
The teenagers were arrested at their home addresses on September 20 last year and, during a search of Okoli's address, a large number of stolen items were recovered.
This included the stolen camera equipment from the Edgware Road robber on June 4.
'We will do everything to bring you to justice'
Speaking after the sentencing, detective constable Sara Keane said: “This was a robust sentence that has seen two perpetrators of a scooter-enabled crime receive time in prison.
“If you commit such an offence, we will do everything we can to find you and bring you to justice.
"These offenders rely on the unwariness of the public to snatch their possessions so it is so important that the people are aware of their surroundings at all times and protect their personal property.
"However, we want to prevent the theft of scooters in the first place so they can’t be used in the commission of other crimes so I urge all riders to lock, chain and cover their vehicles to deter thieves."
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