London gang pose with watches snatched from terrified victims at knifepoint in West London

A brazen gang who committed a series of terrifying knifepoint robberies and took photos posing with stolen watches have been convicted.

The group, including three teenagers, used a stolen car on false plates to carry out their crimes, in each case threatening the victims with a large knife or machete before stealing items including watches and bags.

None of the property stolen has been recovered. Michael Malik Ahmed 28, of Little Dimocks, Balham, pleaded guilty to six counts of robbery – four on December 21, 2021, and two on January 9, 2022.

At a trial which concluded on Monday, February 13, he was also found guilty of possessing an offensive weapon used in the attacks, as well as dangerous driving. At the same trial, Kaijuan Henry, 19, of Woodward Road, Dagenham was found guilty of being involved in the December robberies, while Jessy Ouma, 18, of Patmore Estate, Wandsworth was found guilty of being involved in the robberies on January 9.

Zakariah Yusuf, 18, Joseph Opoku, 19, and Roshan Clark, 18, all of the Winstanley Estate, had previously pleaded guilty to being involved. Sentencing will take place on a date to be set. Detective Sergeant Gary Taylor, from the Met’s Flying Squad, said: "These men carried out multiple violent robberies which left many of those targeted fearing for their lives.

"Their attacks were brazen, took place on busy streets and I have no doubt they would have gone on to commit further crimes if they had not been quickly caught. “We know the impact these crimes have on each and every victim and our team worked tirelessly to ensure we identified those responsible and brought them to justice. Those who live in and visit our city should not have to go about their daily lives in fear of thieves.

"Sadly we know there has been a rise in these types of offences and we would urge people to remain aware of their surroundings and where possible to keep valuables out of sight." The group was caught when, following the final robberies, victims were able to provide police with the car’s registration number and shortly afterwards, officers saw the BMW at the junction of Balham High Road and Chestnut Grove.

Specialist officers pursued the vehicle, which crashed into a wooden fence near the junction of Dornton Road and Culverdon Road.

The occupants of the car fled from the scene and into an estate and despite a foot chase, police were unable to find them. In their rush to escape, Ahmed left his house keys, phone and a bank card in the car while Yusuf left his jacket and phone.

This meant officers could identify them and through them, the other defendants.

A large machete used in the robberies was also found in the vehicle, as was a tracksuit top with distinctive markings which matched the clothing worn by Ahmed when he was caught on CCTV at a petrol station. When Ouma was arrested, officer seized and examined his phone.

This revealed photos of Henry and Clark celebrating their robberies by wearing a number of the stolen watches.

Forensic evidence and cell site data also linked the defendants to the crimes.

The robberies took place on:

• Old Church Street, SW3

At around 11.15hrs on December 21, a couple were walking down the road when they were passed at speed by a car. The vehicle, driven by Ahmed, came to a halt and Clark and Henry jumped out armed with a crow bar and large serrated knife. They surrounded the man, grabbing his wrist and forcing him to hand over his Tag Heuer watch, worth around £1,500.

• Cornford Grove, SW12

At around 12.00hrs on December 21, a man was walking down the road when he was chased by Clark and Henry, one of whom was armed with a long zombie style knife. He was confronted at a doorway and punched in the face, causing part of his tooth to fall out, before his bag was stolen from him.

• Walton Street, SW3

At 18.05hrs on December 21 two men were sitting at a pub table when a vehicle screeched to a halt in front of them. Clark and Henry, who were armed with a knife and machete, got out of the car and shouted at them to handover their watches, worth around £35,000 each.

• Draycott Avenue, SW3

At 15.20hrs on January 9, a couple were walking towards their car when they saw a vehicle, driven by Ahmed, speed past before suddenly stopping. Ouma, Yusuf and Opoku jumped out, armed with a large machete. The female victim had her £6,000 Rolex watch and Bulgari ring stolen. The male victim was hit in the face, causing multiple fractures. His Tag Heuer watch, valued at around £1,150 was also stolen.

DS Taylor added: “We are pleased that a dangerous gang has been taken off our streets and our city will be safer now that these six men are facing a considerable period behind bars. “This case also shows the importance of reporting a robbery as soon as it happens and we would urge anyone who is the victim of a similar crime, or anyone who sees a robbery taking place, to call us immediately. This makes a significant impact on our ability to catch those responsible and prevent them from causing any further harm.”

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