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Islington man found guilty of smash and grab moped raids on mobile phone shops
Jailed: Smash and grab raider Chang Mabiala. Picture: Met Police - Credit: Archant
An Islington man has been found guilty for his part in 17 moped smash and grab raids on mobile phone stores.
Jailed: Smash and grab raider Bobby Kennedy. Picture: Met Police - Credit: Archant
Chang Mabiala, 21, of Union Square, was found guilty of conspiracy to commit burglary at Blackfriars Crown Court yesterday.
He was part of a gang of 10 that carried out the raids across north and east London between May and November last year.
The men would typically arrive wearing crash helmets and dark clothes, smash into the stores and ransack the stock rooms. During one of the robberies, a witness was threatened with a firearm.
Two other Islington men from the gang were convicted of conspiracy to commit burglary after a trial in August.
Jailed: Smash and grab raider Alfie Kennedy. Picture: Met Police - Credit: Archant
They were Bobby Kennedy, 22, of no fixed abode but from Islington, and Alfie Kennedy, 21, of Arlington Avenue. Bobby was found guilty by a jury, while Alfie pleaded guilty after the first week of the trial.
The 10 defendants will be sentenced on a date to be confirmed.
