Two getaway drivers, who were part of a violent knife-wielding watch robbery gang that struck twice within minutes in the heart of the Square Mile, have been caged.
Anderson (L) & Stewart (R)
Agandy Anderson, 30, (L) and Kayne Stewart, 27, (R) of Milton Way, Dunstable, were the drivers of two separate vehicles that prowled the City of London hunting for victims in the early hours.
Both pleaded guilty to robbery and Anderson received nine years and six months and Stewart received four years and six months in prison.
City of London Police believe Dogukan Aktas, 26, was also part of the group on the night of the robberies.
He was last believed to be in Switzerland and officers have spoken to Interpol to assist in bringing him in for questioning.
On September 8, 2024, just before 3.00am on Appold Street, two men and a woman were walking together following a night out.
A BMW vehicle approached them at the traffic lights and two male suspects got out of the vehicle.
The criminals begin to threaten the victims by brandishing knives and demanded their watches.
The suspects removed a Citizen watch worth around £400 from one of the male victims and stabbed him twice across the buttocks.
In the scuffle the victim also sustained a head wound that bled heavily.
The female victim was kicked in the head by one of the suspects.
The third victim was approached by one of the suspects who said: “Give me your watch,” putting the victim in a headlock and forcing his head toward the ground.
The victim released the clasp on his Bulova watch, worth around £200 and the suspect then snatched it.
Both robbery suspects are assessed to have been armed with a knife each, described by one victim as “zombie knives”.
Five minutes after the first robbery the gang struck on Curtain Road at the junction of Scrutton Street and Holywell Row.
Two men and a woman were returning to their car when a BMW approached and two suspects got out of the vehicle shouting: “Give me your watch.”
The victims described the suspects brandishing a zombie knife.
One victim had his Tissot T-Classic watch, worth £400 stolen aggressively by the suspects and he was hit in the face.
Detective Sergeant Amy Westall, City of London Police, said: “These were exceptionally violent and frightening attacks in which the offenders showed a complete disregard for the safety of their victims.
“Armed with knives, they targeted people going about their lives, stabbing one victim and brutally kicking a woman in the head in their determination to steal what they believed was high-value watches.
“Thanks to the courage and swift actions of the victims in reporting these crimes, and the vital evidence they provided, our investigation team was able to piece together exactly what happened.
“Combined with the City of London’s extensive CCTV network, which captured both attacks just minutes apart, we were able to identify the offenders, track them down and ensure they faced justice.
The first victim said in his victim impact statement: “My overall feeling is of general fear, for my own safety in life, as well as being fearful of the safety of my loved ones.
“This incident has lifted away a blanket of blissful ignorance and now I really see what the world can be like and what others are capable of.
“I don’t trust any random person when I’m out in the street.
“When someone walks past too closely, if someone is looking at me in a certain way, or has locked eyes with me for more than a second, I am nervous about what they might do.”
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