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| Moped gang members jailed over mobile phone shop raids | Moped gang members jailed over mobile phone shop raids |
| (25 days later) | |
| Ten men jailed for 110 years in total after violent raids in which security guards and witness were beaten | |
| Alexandra Topping and agencies | |
| Fri 22 Dec 2017 16.47 GMT | |
| Last modified on Fri 29 Dec 2017 15.17 GMT | |
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| Ten members of a moped gang have been jailed for a total of 110 years after a £1.2m series of raids on mobile phone shops in London. | Ten members of a moped gang have been jailed for a total of 110 years after a £1.2m series of raids on mobile phone shops in London. |
| The men used fencing posts as battering rams and angle grinders to break into shops. Armed with hammers and knives, and wearing helmets and dark clothing, they ransacked the stockrooms of 17 shops, throwing iPhone and Samsung handsets into one-tonne bags. | The men used fencing posts as battering rams and angle grinders to break into shops. Armed with hammers and knives, and wearing helmets and dark clothing, they ransacked the stockrooms of 17 shops, throwing iPhone and Samsung handsets into one-tonne bags. |
| When the raids were complete, they made their getaway on mopeds and scooters, discarding their helmets in the mistaken belief that it would stop a high-speed pursuit from police. | When the raids were complete, they made their getaway on mopeds and scooters, discarding their helmets in the mistaken belief that it would stop a high-speed pursuit from police. |
| All but one of the raids were carried out on shops run by Three, costing the mobile phone company an estimated £1.2m in lost stock, damage, increased security and the closure of a branch targeted four times. | All but one of the raids were carried out on shops run by Three, costing the mobile phone company an estimated £1.2m in lost stock, damage, increased security and the closure of a branch targeted four times. |
| Courtney White, 23, Mominur Rahman, 22, Mohammed Hussain, 24, Chang Mabiala, 22, Mohammed Ali, 24, Chris Costi, 19, Bobby Kennedy, 22, Alfie Kennedy, 21, Adam Attalah, 21, and Dylan Castano Lopez, 20, were all either convicted of, or pleaded guilty to, conspiracy to commit burglary between 1 May and 27 November last year. | Courtney White, 23, Mominur Rahman, 22, Mohammed Hussain, 24, Chang Mabiala, 22, Mohammed Ali, 24, Chris Costi, 19, Bobby Kennedy, 22, Alfie Kennedy, 21, Adam Attalah, 21, and Dylan Castano Lopez, 20, were all either convicted of, or pleaded guilty to, conspiracy to commit burglary between 1 May and 27 November last year. |
| Judge Michael Simon jailed the gang for a total of 110 years and one month at Blackfriars crown court in London, describing them as “young in chronological age, but old in criminality”. | Judge Michael Simon jailed the gang for a total of 110 years and one month at Blackfriars crown court in London, describing them as “young in chronological age, but old in criminality”. |
| “The attacks were highly organised and meticulously planned,” he said. “Nothing and no one was allowed to stand in the way of this gang’s intentions.” | “The attacks were highly organised and meticulously planned,” he said. “Nothing and no one was allowed to stand in the way of this gang’s intentions.” |
| Three security guards were beaten and one witness was threatened with a firearm during the raids. | Three security guards were beaten and one witness was threatened with a firearm during the raids. |
| One attack, captured on CCTV, drew gasps from the jury when it was played in court, the judge said. “There can be no doubt their experience at the hands of this gang was terrifying and traumatic,” he said. | One attack, captured on CCTV, drew gasps from the jury when it was played in court, the judge said. “There can be no doubt their experience at the hands of this gang was terrifying and traumatic,” he said. |
| The court heard Three attached GPS tracking devices to some phones in their stores, which were tracked when they were stolen by the gang. | The court heard Three attached GPS tracking devices to some phones in their stores, which were tracked when they were stolen by the gang. |
| The judge praised the work of detectives from the Metropolitan police, who “meticulously” pieced the case together. | The judge praised the work of detectives from the Metropolitan police, who “meticulously” pieced the case together. |
| He added that the case had attracted significant interest because it dealt with methods of crime which many city-dwellers feared. | He added that the case had attracted significant interest because it dealt with methods of crime which many city-dwellers feared. |
| “This is not surprising given the number of features – gangs, mopeds, knife crime, to name but a few – that are so uppermost in the minds of those who live in London and elsewhere, who are consistently bombarded with more news of crimes committed with some or all of those features,” he said. | “This is not surprising given the number of features – gangs, mopeds, knife crime, to name but a few – that are so uppermost in the minds of those who live in London and elsewhere, who are consistently bombarded with more news of crimes committed with some or all of those features,” he said. |
| White, from Wood Green, was jailed for 18 years, with a two-year extended licence period; Rahman, from Camden, was jailed for 12-and-a-half years; Hussain, 24, from Hackney, was jailed for 10 years; Mabiala, from Islington, was jailed for eight and a half years; Ali, from Hackney, was jailed for seven years and one month; Costi, from Hackney, was jailed for eight and a half years; Bobby Kennedy, from Islington, was jailed for 11 and a half years; Alfie Kennedy, from Shoreditch, was jailed for 13 years and one month; Attalah, of no fixed address, was jailed for 10 years and 10 months; and Lopez, from Camberwell, was jailed for 10 years and one month. | White, from Wood Green, was jailed for 18 years, with a two-year extended licence period; Rahman, from Camden, was jailed for 12-and-a-half years; Hussain, 24, from Hackney, was jailed for 10 years; Mabiala, from Islington, was jailed for eight and a half years; Ali, from Hackney, was jailed for seven years and one month; Costi, from Hackney, was jailed for eight and a half years; Bobby Kennedy, from Islington, was jailed for 11 and a half years; Alfie Kennedy, from Shoreditch, was jailed for 13 years and one month; Attalah, of no fixed address, was jailed for 10 years and 10 months; and Lopez, from Camberwell, was jailed for 10 years and one month. |
| Moped-enabled crimes have almost trebled since last year, with 23,546 offences recorded in the 12 months up to November 2017, according to figures quoted in court. | Moped-enabled crimes have almost trebled since last year, with 23,546 offences recorded in the 12 months up to November 2017, according to figures quoted in court. |
| DS Danny Watts welcomed the sentences, adding: “There is a perception out there that we will not engage in a pursuit when suspects remove their helmets – that’s not true. | DS Danny Watts welcomed the sentences, adding: “There is a perception out there that we will not engage in a pursuit when suspects remove their helmets – that’s not true. |
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