Five men have been jailed for a total of nearly 25 years for assaulting an off-duty police officer and stealing his watch in Harrow, London.
The victim had been at a bar in Rayners Lane, Harrow, on 17th November 2019. He became aware of two men watching him earlier on in the evening but did not act upon the males’ behaviour.
As the off-duty police officer left the bar at around 03:00hrs, a man came up from behind him and looped his arms around his neck, pulling him backwards and on to the pavement.
A group of approximately 12 people then rushed around the victim and began a frenzied attack, smashing a glass bottle on the victim’s arm in the process.
During the rush, one of the attackers snatched a chain from around the victim’s neck whilst another man punched him repeatedly until he handed over his watch.
A friend of the victim tried to intervene and help him but was immediately punched in the face and suffered significant injuries, including a broken nose and a fractured jaw.
A member of the public who witnessed the relentless attack tried to help the two victims. But he was punched and knocked unconscious as he fell into the road.
The jury watched harrowing CCTV footage of the incident, which shows Agyeman pulling at the unconscious man’s pockets, apparently looking to steal any possessions on his person.
As a fourth male attempted to make his way through the crowd, the group turned their attention to him, pulling at his neck and throwing punches at him. The man managed to escape without suffering any injuries.
As the suspects left the scene, the off-duty police officer realised his warrant card had been stolen.
Along with this, the attackers had stolen his bank cards, driving licence and Oyster card.
He immediately ran to a police station and reported the incident. He suffered various injuries, including bruising to his ribs, back and shoulders, which had to be treated at hospital.
Investigating officers checked hours of CCTV and gathered enough information to identify five of the individuals involved in the brutal attack.
Further investigative work placed vehicles belonging to Bangisa, Agyeman and Abrokwa at the scene, and mobile phone cell data showing they were in the area at the time of the incident.
This evidence proved to be invaluable at trial.
On 26th February 2020 warrants were carried out at four addresses under Section 8 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act.
Abrokwa, Bangisa, Agyeman and Alba were arrested following the warrants.
Upon searching the addresses, police found clothing matching the outfits the men were seen wearing on CCTV.
Fussaini was arrested the following day on 27th February at an address in Westcliff-On-Sea, Essex.
In a statement provided following the incident, the off-duty officer wrote that he continued to be vigilant around his security.
He said he was constantly looking over his shoulder, continued to feel pain from where he had been assaulted and lives in fear of suffering a similar attack.
The males were convicted of violent disorder and robbery at Harrow Crown Court on Wednesday, 3 February.
On Friday, 9 April, they were sentenced at the same court as follows:
Rodney Abrokwa, 31, of Great Cambridge Road, Enfield, was sentenced to four years and six months’ imprisonment.
Christian Bangisa, 29, of Fair Street, Southwark, was sentenced to four years and one month’s imprisonment.
Daniel Agyeman, 30, of Sandfield Place, Croydon, was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment.
Iraawoosan Alba, 31, of Fuller Road, Dagenham, was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment.
Shariff Fussaini, 29, of London Road, Westcliff-on-Sea, was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment.
Detective Inspector Gavin Collins from the Met’s Operation Venice team, who led the investigation, said:
“The CCTV shows these men committing a chaotic, brutal and sustained attack on the victim and others who were present on the night.
“It is clear that these individuals wanted nothing more than to steal valuable possessions from the victim.
“The attackers acted purely on their desire to steal a valuable watch, and yet the incident resulted in many individuals being physically harmed, and many more onlookers having to witness a truly disturbing incident.
“The Met takes violence against victims and its officers extremely seriously.
“The group became aware that the victim was a police officer when they found his warrant card.
“They subsequently continued to rain blows down on the victim and committed further violence against others in the area, demonstrating their arrogance and total disregard for the fact that they were assaulting an emergency worker.
“I hope that knowing this group of men will be spending a significant time in prison provides some reassurance to the victims and those who witnessed this awful incident.
“The Met and the judicial system will not tolerate violence in any form, not least when it is committed against a person who regularly and knowingly puts themselves in harm’s way for others.”
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Poor sentencing yet again!
Jail time for these animals is no more than a few months off. To really punish these people their sentence should include MANDATORY deportation as their sentences end! -They’ll all be in tears then,Mr. ‘Be gentle with them’; judge. Get ’em GONE, with their entire families, Indeed they could be booted at once,. Why NOT??
To right they’ll be out in 2
Hopefully deport them as soon as their sentences have been served
It should be a min of 10 yrs for asult on emergency worker. Any forigner found guilty of afence in the first 5yrs should do the time & then be Deported.
Yeah but Black Lives Matter,, more,, absolute disgrace, need deportation with the rest of the scum who come here seeking help 😂,, and just take the piss
They should be deported.
This is Blair’s ‘diversity’. Can we PLEASE check for BRITISH VALUES instead of these ghastly criminal qualities virtue signalling DIVERSITY seekers seem to prefer.
For me anyone who commits this type of crime immediately gives up all their civil rights, and as for sentencing it should be a mandatory 15 years and where possible repatriation to the country they came from, if native to the UK then 20 years and no time off for good behaviour, NO PAROLE