Islington raiders jailed for smash-and-grabs
Smash and grab watches - Credit: Archant
Two men have been jailed for a total 19 years for their part in separate smash-and-grab raids.
Danny St Luce, 29, of Wakelen House, Sebbon Street, Islington, was sentenced to seven years for his part in a £300,000 raid on Mappin and Webb in the City.
Patrick O’Brien, 23, of Arlington Square, was sentenced to 12 years after being part of a £288,000 jewellery haul from the Jumeirah Carlton Tower Hotel, Knightsbridge, in February last year.
The men were sentenced at Kingston Crown Court on Thursday, July 30. St Luce had admitted conspiracy to rob, while O’Brien was found guilty of the same charge.
In both incidents, St Luce and O’Brien were in cahoots with Waltham Abbey man Reece Dunford, who was linked to 10 raids across London.
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In April last year, acting under Dunford’s instruction, St Luce was one of a gang of four who approached Mappin and Webb on two high-powered motorcycles.
St Luce, alongside Vincent Kamara, 28, of Camden, Boz Burbridge, 31, also of Camden, and David Mays, 33, of Bexley, used one of the bikes to burst through the doors.
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Two of the men, believed to be Burbridge and Mays, ran inside, still wearing their motorcycle helmets and armed with sledgehammers and an axe. A third man, believed to be St Luce, waited outside.
Memebers of staff were threatened, before Kamara directed Burbridge and Mays towards the shop displays with the most valuable watches.
They smashed through the glass cabinets and made off with more than £300,000 of Rolex watches, leaving the sledgehammers and axe behind.
The watches were dropped off at a house linked to the gang in Islington. But less than three hours later, the Met’s Flying Squad swooped on the address.
Dunford and 71-year-old cohort Yahir Cohen were caught red-handed, surrounded by the stolen watches with price tags still attached.
At Thursday’s sentencing, Dunford, Cohen, Kamara, Burbridge and Mays were all jailed alongside St Luce and O’Brien.
Dunford was jailed for 12 years, Cohen six years, Kamara 12 years, Burbridge seven years and Mays eight years.
