Islington smash and grab lad snatched £74,000 worth of handbags in one minute spree

A smash grab gang snatched a whopping £74,000 of luxury handbags in just over a minute (Image: Archant)

A smash and grab raider who snatched £74,000 worth of designers handbags in a daring 69 second swoop has been jailed.

Dean Dinan, 20, of Westbourne Road, Holloway, was handed a two year term at Blackfriars Crown Court on May 22.

He was part of a nine man gang, riding six stolen motorbikes, who smashed their way into Loewe store on Mount Street, Mayfair, in the early hours of December 11 last year.

The crooks rammed open the front of the shop and stormed in, grabbing luxury bags from the shelves as they went.

A total of 57 handbags were snatched - worth colossal £74,035 - in a frantic one minute spree before the gang sped off with their haul.

Dinan was wearing a fur-lined parka coat which marked him out on CCTV footage being studied by detectives.

They traced him right to the door of his house, and the next morning the flying squad pounced on the address - finding 37 of the stolen bags.

Dinan and another man Jason Furtado, 18, were arrested and both pleaded guilty on April 24.

Det Con Phelim Redmond from the Flying Squad said: “There are still a number of people outstanding that are wanted in connection with the incident. Our investigation remains open and dedicated officers will continue to trace the others responsible.”

Police were unable to recover the outstanding 19 bags that were stolen.

Dinan was sentenced to two years and four months’ imprisonment in a young offenders institute for conspiracy to commit burglary and fined £120.

Furtado, of Saxon Road, Croydon was sentenced to one year and nine months’ imprisonment in a young offenders institute for conspiracy to commit burglary.