Gang sentenced for spate of cash robberies

09/05/2012

A gang of eleven teenagers have been sentenced to a total of 38 years in prison after being convicted of conspiring to rob vulnerable people of large sums of cash as they left banks or cash points in Ilford.

CPS London reviewing lawyer Alex Matic said:

"These young men purposely set out to target people they deemed to be weak. They preyed upon women and the elderly watching them in banks as they withdrew large amounts of cash. They then tracked them through the streets before picking their moment to rob them.

"Between them the defendants were charged in relation to five separate incidents including one where a man was robbed of £5000 he had just withdrawn to pay for his daughters wedding.

"The defendants worked together using mobile phones to stay in contact as they followed their intended target. The CPS were able to use evidence from the mobile phones to show the conspiracy and link the defendants together.

"CCTV footage enabled us to identify those involved and the similarity of each incident meant we had a strong case to put before the jury and one which prompted half of the defendants to plead guilty before trial."

The sentences are as follows:

- 19 year old Meshack Reid was convicted of one count of conspiracy to rob after trial and sentenced to four and a half years imprisonment
- A 17 year old boy was convicted of one count of conspiracy to rob after trial and sentenced to two and a half years imprisonment
- A 17 year old boy was convicted of one count of conspiracy to rob after trial and sentenced to two years imprisonment
- A 17 year old boy was convicted of two counts of conspiracy to rob after trial and sentenced to four and a half years imprisonment
- A 16 year old boy was convicted of two counts of conspiracy to rob after trial and sentenced to four years imprisonment
- A 15 year old boy was convicted of two counts of conspiracy to rob after trial and sentenced to three years imprisonment
- 18 year old Jason Asagba pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to rob and has been sentenced to three years imprisonment
- 18 year old Jordy Mantezolo pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to rob and has been sentenced to five and a half years imprisonment
- A 16 year old boy pleaded guilty to three counts of conspiracy to rob and has been sentenced to four years eight months imprisonment
- A 16 year old boy pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to rob and has been sentenced to two years imprisonment
- A 15 year old boy pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to rob and has been sentenced to three years imprisonment.