Sledgehammer scooter raider gets eight years
Tough sentence for moped gang member
Friday, 13th July 2018 — By Emily Finch
Jamie Farrell
A MOPED robber whose gang used sledgehammers to smash through a display in a West End store was sentenced to eight years behind bars at Southwark Crown Court on Monday, writes Emily Finch.
Jamie Farrell, 31, from Islington, had admitted being part of a group of six men on three mopeds and a motorbike that carried out a morning raid of Watches of Switzerland in Regent Street on June 5.
The attack saw a moped rammed into the doors of the high-end store to pre- vent them closing while three men in crash helmets attacked the display cases with sledgehammers taking £440,000 worth of watches.
Meanwhile, three other men on bikes waited outside armed with knives to scare off security staff and the public.
Passing police officers gave chase to the robbers and Farrell was detained less than 300ft away in Heddon Street. He was seen abandoning a bag containing 11 Rolex watches, a pair of gloves and a crash helmet.
Half a dozen more Rolex watches were recovered in Islington near to where a moped had been abandoned.
A total of 17 out of 29 watches stolen in the raid have been recovered worth just over £300,000
but the damage to the store is estimated to be around £100,000.
Detective Constable Phelim Redmond, of the Met’s Flying Squad, who deal with moped crime, said: “Farrell was among a group of men who carried out a brazen robbery at a jewellers in the centre of London.
“I would like to thank the members of the public who helped identify Farrell and the items of clothing and stolen goods he had discarded as he fled the scene.
“The Met is committed to disrupting and detain- ing anyone involved in moped crimes. The investigation is still ongoing in this case to identify and arrest the other five men involved in this crime.”
