Tuesday, 16 November 2010

Bank-Snatch Teen Getaway Driver Behind Bars


A teenage getaway driver, who leapt from his moving van during a dramatic police chase after a violent £25,000 bank cash snatch, was locked-up for two years yesterday.

Osei Sarpong, 19, of Barlborough Street, New Cross pleaded guilty to robbery outside LloydsTSB, Crescent Arcade, Greenwich, South-East London (pictured) on June 17.

Prosecutor Mr. Jonathan Turner told Woolwich Crown Court a security van was delivering cash boxes to the bank at 11.30am.

“As one security guard carried the boxes to the bank the second guard inside the van noticed a young man at a nearby bus stop staring at the van.

“On the seventh cash box trip the man ran at the guard and tried to grab the container, which was thrown by the guard into the back of the van.

“The pair struggled and there was kicking by the suspect who managed to grab the container and escape in a white transit van.”

The alarm was raised and police quickly identified the getaway van and gave chase.

“The driver, this defendant, failed to stop and kept going and jumped from the vehicle while it was still moving,” added Mr. Turner.

Police then quickly caught up with Sarpong and arrested him and his accomplice.

“Robbery is a serious offence, not only in terms of the amount of money you stole, but also the trauma that is suffered by the people guarding that money,” Judge Peter Murphy told the defendant.

“This could only have been committed with a certain amount of planning and it was executed with some skill.”

Sarpong was sentenced to two years detention in a young offenders institution.

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