Mobile phone robber targeted Islington victims as young as 14

A COWARDLY robber who tricked innocent victims as young as 14 into handing over their mobile phones in streets across Islington has been jailed.

Wayne Williams, 40, of Holden Road, Barnet, was sentenced to 26 months in prison at Blackfriars Crown Court on Monday after pleading guilty to one count of robbery and six counts of theft.

He was snared thanks to a worried member of the public who identified him from CCTV footage released in an appeal by British Transport Police (BTP).

The robbery and thefts were committed between February and April this year in streets across Camden and Islington, as well as at Bounds Green, Totteridge and Whetstone and Finchley Central Tube stations.

Williams demanded his victims’ phones, claiming they fitted the description of someone who had robbed his cousin.

He told them he would show the phone to his cousin to verify whether it was stolen - before intimidating his victims and threatening them with violence if they asked for it back.

His youngest victim was just 14 years old.

Detective Constable Dick Mortimer, of BTP, said: “I have no doubt that these were very intimidating experiences for Williams’ victims. CCTV images placed him at the scenes of the crimes leading to a guilty plea in court. I would also like to pass my thanks to a woman who came forward and provided us with the information we needed to identify Williams and bring him to justice.”