Three violent robbers have been jailed for 28 years following a reign of terror across Wandsworth in which they threatened people with guns, knives and a metal bar.

Young men Nathan Adarkwa, Jahrel Laurencin and Rashurne Hawthorne have each been sentenced to nine-and-a-half years in prison.

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Jahrel Laurencin, 20, of Solna Avenue, Putney

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Rashurne Hawthorne, 20, of Fir Tree Close, Streatham

In the early hours of the morning, on January 4, they robbed a man at a cash point in Battersea Park Road. CCTV showed two men approach him with their faces covered and one put his arm around the victim forcing him to hand over his bank card.

Just half-an-hour later two masked men entered a chicken shop on Falcon Road, Battersea, where a shop-worker was repeatedly punched in the face and neck. 

When he finally collapsed the robbers kicked the man on the floor and stole money from the till.

They gang demanded more money from staff but when they were told there was no more the gang beat the shop worker again and left.

On 6 January, two men entered a shop in Battersea Bridge Road and one of them repeatedly struck the shopkeeper with a bottle while another tried to open the till.

When the till would not open the men picked it up and made their getaway.

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Next the gang struck another chicken shop, in Battersea Bridge Road, on January 8, at about 1am.

Three men wearing masks ran in and one of them struck a member of staff with a metal bar, knocking him to the ground.

Meanwhile another robber threatened other members of staff with a knife. The till was emptied and the gang tried to tie the staff up, but failed and fled the shop.

The gang's next target was a late night store, where a man and a woman worked, in Lavendar Hill.

At about 1am, on January 9, three masked men entered the shop and one of them starting punching the male member of staff.

Another member of the gang produced a gun which he pointed at the female member of staff.

He hit her with the gun and stole from the till. The group made off with around £2,500 in cash and a laptop computer.

The same night, at about 1.40am, they targeted a Pizza shop in Battersea Park Road.

Wearing masks and appearing to hold firearms wrapped in plastic bags, the three men demanded staff show them a safe.

They forced staff onto their knees and told one worker if he did not give them his debit card PIN number he would be ‘cut’.

They tried to lock staff in the basement before again fleeing the scene.

The young men were still not satisfied and carried out two further crimes in the early hours of the morning on January 10.

In a pizza shop, in Falcon Road, one of the gang members jumped onto the counter holding a knife.

But two members of staff fought back by arming themselves with a cricket bat and a pizza shovel when a robber which scared them off.

Then at 3am, in a convenience store in Fairfield Street, one robber jumped onto the counter and told staff not to move while another put a knife to the throat of a staff member and demanded his mobile. When the robbers made their getaway members of staff followed them and flagged down a passing police car.

Eventually all three were arrested and Wandsworth CID gathered evidence exposing their involvement in the crime spree.

The men were each charged with conspiracy to commit robbery and conspiracy to carry an imitation firearm to commit a criminal offence between January 3 and January 13, 2013.

After pleading guilty to the robberies the trio were sentenced on Tuesday, April 22, at Kingston Crown Court.

Your Local Guardian: Kingston Crown Court

Kingston Crown Court 


Detective Constable Angelo Vitelli, of Wandsworth police said, "These three defendants have been sentenced after going on a violent robbery spree.

“This gang used violence and weapons to carry out their crimes and I would like to thank the many witnesses who came forward for their courage."
 


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