Two moped muggers described by a judge as “personal crime waves” have been sentenced to more than three years detention.

Harry Stevens, 18, was riding pillion when he grabbed a phone from the hand of victim Marina Cogliani as she left Tufnell Park tube station on May 7.

Just 15 minutes later his 17-year-old accomplice steered himinto the path of a second victim, Boglarka Chamer, who was crossing Tottenham Court Road when Stevens grabbed her phone.

Three plain clothed officers on Oxford Street spotted the pair and attempted to tackle them as they drove straight towards pedestrians.

Stevens tried to flee but was caught.

The driver of the stolen moped, wearing a balaclava, managed to evade capture after running through the traffic but was tracked and caught on CCTV.

On Tuesday, Southwark Crown Court heard how both teens had previously been made subject of criminal behaviour orders (CBO) banning them from being on any two wheeled vehicles unless they were the registered keeper.

The orders also banned them from associating with each other and seven other individuals, as well as from possessing a mobile phone unless they were the registered keepers.

The pair admitted conspiracy to steal and breaching their orders with the younger admitting to driving while disqualified and without a licence.

Prosecutor Paul Fairley said the 17-year-old had amassed 25 convictions for 62 offences going back to when he was 13 for vehicle and dishonesty-related crimes.

Stevens, from Enfield, has convictions for 37 prior offences.

Judge Martin Beddoe said: “You both seem to have turned into two individual, personal crime waves.”

The judge told the 17-year-old he had “failed the chance” given to him by another court two weeks before and “contemptuously” ignored the CBO.

To Stevens, the judge said his cleaner record provided a “distinction without a difference” because of his violent crimes before saying the pair were lucky not to have been charged with conspiracy to rob because they would have had no defence and the court would have had far greater sentencing powers.

Stevens was sentenced to 27 months in a young offenders’ institute, while the 17-year-old received a 12-month detention and training order and a two year driving ban.