Morning:
14°c
Jailed: teen mugging gang who hunted like wild dogs
Justin Davenport08.05.09
Posing with knives and machetes, these are the teenage members of a robbery gang that brought terror to London commuters.
The eight-man gang — known as G-Block — used sticks, hammers and mallets in six months of attacks on up to 100 people walking home. The judge who jailed them today described the gang as “a pack of wild dogs”.
They singled out professionals and often picked on lone women. One woman was nearly choked to death when the gang stamped on her chest and stood on her throat.
Victims were subjected to “severe” violence, with many punched and kicked before the gang, who hid their faces in scarves, hoods and masks from the horror film Scream, took their belongings including phones and iPods.
After the attacks some of the gang boasted of the assaults on MSN and social networking sites such as Bebo and Facebook while the gang leader used MSN to give post-robbery “pep talks” to the younger members.
The robbers, aged from 13 to 17, posted images of themselves on the internet posing with knives and weapons outside Gearing Close in Tooting, where three lived, taking photos with mobile phones stolen from their victims.
Detectives were struck by the gang's violence — most of the group had never been in trouble.
Today eight were jailed at Kingston crown court after admitting more than 50 robberies. Judge Nicholas Price QC said: “You set out in packs hunting for
vulnerable victims, intent on seeking out your prey, treating them without mercy.” Police think there were up to 100 attacks in Tooting Bec and Wandsworth from July to December 2007. The gang leader is an 18-year-old with a history of violence who cannot be named for legal reasons.
Today Det Sgt Phil Booth, of Wandsworth robbery squad, said: “Their parents had no idea that their teenagers were involved in this kind of lifestyle.
“The savagery their attacks quickly gravitated to was absolutely shocking and it is extremely lucky they did not have more serious consequences.”
Heather Norton, prosecuting, earlier told the court that 57 robberies could be linked to the gang. She said: “The
violence used against the victims of G-Block was frequently excessive, severe and shocking.”
The crime spree ended when two gang members were identified by a couple who were robbed as they walked home from a bar in a Wandsworth. Following the arrests offences in the area dropped by more than 160 in six months.
The gang were jailed for a total of 32 years with the ringleader given seven. Peter Hyatt, 18, was jailed for four and a half years, Jerome Blake, 15, for four, Abdi Nur, 18, four, Akheem Gray, 17, four, Ameel Gray, 16, three and a half, Jordan Rattray, 17, two years, and Lufter Ahmed, 19, three years.
Reader views (57)
"The savagery their attacks quickly gravitated to was absolutely shocking and it is extremely lucky they did not have more serious consequences.”
"They singled out professionals and often picked on lone women. One woman was nearly choked to death when the gang stamped on her chest and stood on her throat.“
four and a half years - out in 2. wow that'll scare them.
- Disgusted Of East London, London, Uk
We choose our path in life, do we not? Therefore, every man or woman whom acts as these animals have has ignored the route the majority have taken
This is a true statement .Life is your choice but you must choose with the majority .Seems to me that is what is wrong .no one can think for themselves so they run in packs .Good or bad packs
- Gazza, australia
they should be beaten most severely
- Walter Coady, london
Prison, early release, no possible employment due to criminal history, council flat, lifetime of benefits, no conscience, crime pays!.
- Martin, London
Sentences are not long enough. This filth should be removed from the streets permanently. These people who paraded themselves on social networking sites as 'big boys' with their knives should be sent out to the most dangerous place in the world and lets see how 'brave' they are then.
- Barbara, SYdney, Australia,
I can't believe in the violence, that these thugs inflicted on innocent people, living as i do in the usa, i am glad that i can legally own a gun which any law abiding citizen can Mary, calif usa
- Mary Riley, california. usa
Bring back proper punishments.
I think its because of the soft punishments these days that crime has gone up.
You go to countries like Bangladesh where during the lunch prayer the shops all are left open, however no one steals a thing, because they will probably loose their hands if they even stole a doormat.
- Jennifer, London
Can we please stop having our civil liberties taken away in the name of "terrorism" when the real terrorists are kids like this on our own doorstep. What is going on? How have we let it come to this?
- Sam, London
'Today Det Sgt Phil Booth, of Wandsworth robbery squad, said: “Their parents had no idea that their teenagers were involved in this kind of lifestyle."'
Oh Please!!!o they come home every day with lots of money, new phones, IPods, Laptops etc and the parents can't figure it out.
I agree with others sentencing was pathetic, in other words the usual. They'll be claiming they are the real victims next and it's all societies fault, and the loony left will agree and give them life on a plate as normal.
- Mike, London
We choose our path in life, do we not? Therefore, every man or woman whom acts as these animals have has ignored the route the majority have taken - and deserve no mercy.
Roll on June the 4th. I am voting for the first time in 15 year - and it will not be for the treacherous, cowardly and lying flotsam that sits in Parliament now.
- Mark, Cardiff
I fully agree with C. Preston about law and order that we can learn from Singapore. Putting politics aside, the laws there have a true meaning and they are carried out in a proper sense. One can walk on the street in the middle of the night without feeling the anxiety of being mugged or harrassed. Crimes in the nature of what we have in question are unheard of. Yes, Mr. Brown and our law lords should go to Singapore for a learning session.
- R Lam, Eastbourne, UK
I am disgusted by this behaviour. As a woman of colour I am ashamed that a minority of young black men feel they have to conduct themselves in this kind of manner. We are supposed to be moving forward...Acts like these put *us* back decades and give more power to the likes of the BNP etc.
I agree with others comments, the jail terms were no way fitting for the above crimes. One victim was one too many, let alone over 50!!
Sentencing guidelines need to change and fast.
- Sue, London
they should have got 8 years each
- Mathew Tomlinson, bradford
4 year sentence means they'll be out in about 2 years. Where's the justice in that? Let's face it Gordon you've lost control of the streets. You need re-educating. I suggest you pack yourself off to Singapore for a week (at your own expense) and see how law and order works over there. None of this violence would have been allowed to happen. Tough on crime ... tough on the causes of crime! What a lie that was!
- C Preston, Guildford, Surrey
To anyone in the USA reading this : don't let Obama take away your right to carry guns. This is what happens when the law abiding are disarmed. Filthy scum like this are given a light slap on the wrist for terrorising innocent people. I'm surprised their victims didn't have to pay their dry cleaning bills for bleeding on their expensive Reeboks. I'll warrant that as soon as they are in prison some kind do-gooder will take them on an all expenses paid "rehabilitation" trip to some lovely tropical resort.
Unfortunately Kubrick's Clockwork Orange has come true. The government is on the side of thugs and criminals to help keep a pliant population in line, terrified and under constant surveillance. Welcome to Nu Labour Britain, a true socialist paradise.
- Albert, Lincoln UK
What absolutely appalling hate crimes carried out by these thugs. Where are these boys learning this hate from? They should be forced to attend equality and diversity courses so they can learn respect for people from different races.
- Terry, watford, england
Absolutely shocking report. Please control these teenage members of a robbery gang that brought terror to London commuters.
It mean there are some terror den in London which is alarming to MR Brown. Please sweep your own door first.
Reading such report since long time but their is no control by the concerned authorities.
London is also heaven for the criminal peoples.No mercy on such gang.Please save LONDON and England.Parents must be warned about it.
- M A Sular, London
National Service and the please send them to Afghanistan on a 4 year tour of duty.
- Zoran, orpington
Tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime - now which
party had that in their election manifesto? Err oh yes,
New Labour!
12 years of government from the biggest bunch of jerks
ever and this is what they have produced.
- Lb, Bromley
My 80 year old father was mugged on Tooting Common by scum like these. The effect their crimes have on society are worse than armed bank robbers. They deserve comparable sentences: 15 years each.
- Steve, Streatham
I am horrified that these savages only received such short sentences...what happens when they get out??? With the intensity of their crimes there is no doubt in my mind that they will only be worse.....shame that the youth are turning to lives of crime, but also a shame that some cannot even be called human.
- Ashley Gray, Atlanta, GA U.S.A.
Pathetically weak sentences. Should be around 12 years each.
- Jf, London
Couldn't the parents be locked up as well? Children aren't born bad, they learn it from the people around them and the discipline and morals that are instilled by their parents. Or not in this case... lock up the parents as well please.
- Jeremy Lawrence, Berlin, Germany
The comparison with dogs is apt, as their time in prison will operate on a similar principle to 'dog years', that is: six months in the outside world counts as one year in prison. Thus we can halve every single sentence listed above, as that is the amount of time they will actually serve.
- Dave White, London
Useless sentences. Once again the courts have let the law abiding public down.
- Mr S.Port, London
They demonstrate all the behaviour of those from a Third World impoverished Country. They should receive the punishment appropriate to such a country. This is the problem.
- Chris M, morbihan,france
the problem starts from the government itself, when they give them rights to be allowed to even talk, give them money, give them bed to sleep, let them sleep on the floor. let them shower allow them this and that no wonder they think they can do anything and the worse could happen to them, they will be taken care in beautiful cells in jail. why don't them give their own medicine? the thing is we have got people who are the chairman this and that organization who are themselves not seeing problems with these. so be it kids get more respect than a pro Sargent in the army, who has fighted for this country. why is that? father and mothers don't know about this cause these kids don't have father and mother, even they do they can't smack their kids if they do they will go to jail for child abuse. so the problem is the politics of this country. any other countries we look at many Asian middle east countries , kids respect the older, they won't even raise their voice over the older. try to that in a normal high school in England. the whole system is wrong. not even mentioning over tax money, our time, our kids who will be influence by these stupid policies. i be a father one day, surely he won't be raised in this environment.
- Koroush, london
Ranter, Maidstone- Stop moaning and learn to celebrate the joy of diversity!
This kind of thing is happening with monotonous regularity, such is the way of things in NuLiebour Britain where criminals have more "human rights" than victims.
Amongst those questioning why the parents had no control of these feral scum are ardent supporters of the party who have inflicted this upon us.
NuLiebour have pursued a policy of attempting to micro manage every aspect of our lives and supporting the spred of politically correct apologism. This has led to the abrogation of responsibility for anything from large swathes of the population, most notably the "client state". This includes the abrogation of responsibility for bringing up their own children, which many seem to believe is the job of social workers and the police.
As for lenient sentencing, that is the responsibility of Jack Man of Straw, the Justice Secretary (there's a misnomer if ever there was one!). It is his department, under the direction of Gormless Clown, that sets sentencing guidlines.
Perhaps we could afford to lock scum like these up for longer if I'm Alright Jack and his trough-snouting colleagues kept their fingers out of the till!
- Keith Lonsdale, Doncaster
End this nonsense and perceived fear of the miscreant society .The simple solution is to use your vote come election for whoevever you feel will stand up for your rights to be treated correctly. Perhaps a swing to the right will address the interests of the majority. I voted Labour last time but now circumstances and society have changed. Use your vote!
- Tony ,Essex, Harlow,UK
The great train robbers got 30 years for clouting one person around the head. These cancers on society walk away with mild rebukes in comparison after bringing terror and suffering into many many people's lives.
- Byron, england
Another example of the generation who have grown up without dicipline in schools.
- Paxton, N17
"Wild dogs" are to be pitied, helped, protected, fed. There is no comparison between them and the savages in this horrifying story. They shouldn't be given tame jail sentences.
- Judith C, London, England
I can't believe how lenient the sentences were. They committed at least 57 and probably 100 serious vicious attacks yet some of the thugs only received 4 years, about 20 days for each attack. Ridiculous and pathetic. Should have received at least 10 years!
- Tony, london
More New Labour weakness. They can do any crime and get a few months, and they know it.We need rough justice for rough people.
- Martin, London
And good old Inspector Knacker, at the behest of the bleeding heart liberals, is going to cut back on 'stop and search' because it isn't fair on those stopped!!!!!
- Al, Kingstown UK
This kind of behaviour beggars belief. I can't imagine humans behaving this way. Of course these youngsters are not humans, not even wild animals but something more sinistre. Freddy Krugers of this planet. Matt from London is absolutely right. And I hope in prison, another gang commit the same kind of violence on them as they did to their innocent victims. See how they'll like it. Oh, and throw in a few judges too.
- Cathy, South East Europe
What a disgusting bunch of kids. I'm thankful I don't live in such an area, I would have expected regular police presence on foot in the area given the number of attacks. Why did it take a couple who actually recognised the attackers to bring them to justice? As usual the public "solved" this crime - it's simple: Street violence and antisocial behaviour will continue to rise as the number of police "on the beat" falls. These thugs get away with it because they know there are never any police around to catch them in the act or act quickly enough after an attack.
- Matt, Northampton
Yip, scum of the earth, and the Salt of the Earth are probably contributing towards the benefits that they scrounge off.
- C Little, Essex
Why did it take 100 attacks, as the Police admit, before these fools were taken off the streets? What are our police forces doing?
- Daivd Smith, London
Most parents dont have control of their kids.. they just roam around wild and free. I was a thug at high school but not to this extent, luckily my parents found out and saved me. As in cutting down on going out, checking my friends out and checking my internet profiles and messages, i'm actually grateful I didn't follow this horrendous route of growing up and ruining other peoples lives. These pack of street rats should be locked up for life. This should be counted as a terrorism act.
- N, London
I agree with Alan. They are scum.
- Nickos, Milton Keynes England
Mathew of Ware you are, sadly wrong about the 4 year sentance as the Labour Government has changed the law so that only half the sentence is served. They will go to prison for a maximum of 2 years, so 5 days for each person attacked, assuming the number of attacks given is correct. Well, you have the chance to vote your approval of the Labour Government that changed the law and has kept silent about low sentencing or you can vote for a Party that aspires to bringing back some law and order on June 4th. All readers of this have the choice, use it well or pay the consequences.
- Clive, London
Four years in jail call it two and then there is early release. Still now we are left with no doubt why chaos is overtaking our land, the "politicians" were too busy "WORKING ON" their expense claims to notice.
- Frank, Dorchester Dorset
Yet there is a constant bleating from within certain communities in the UK about stop and search principally about the 'disproportionate' number of young black and asian men that are stopped; yet whenever there is a story like this guess who the offenders are? Yup, young black men - weird eh?
- Ranter, Maidstone, UK
These two would be dead if this had happened in my neighborhood. You see, I am licensed to carry a pistol. I'm a retired cop. The old saying is, "You don't bring a knife to a gunfight".
- Rick Huffman, Saint Joseph, Michigan
Four years maximum sentence for carrying out up to 100 attacks equates to about 10 days detention per attack! What an absolute disgrace, the victims will suffer possibly much much longer. This country is too soft, the punishment should fit the crime, they would not do it in some Middle Eastern countries
- Matthew, Ware, Herts
Scum
- Ged, Blackheath, London
You know, I'm now getting sick and tired of reading about these pieces of sc*m. They have absolutely no respect for anyone and they should be removed from society indefinitly. There should be a mechanism for naming and shaming so everyone knows who these people are, forget about their human rights, as far as I'm concerned they gave up their rights the moment they decided to arm themselves and go out mugging and stealing. As for their parents not knowing what they were up too..hmmm...I'll say no more. We seem to breed dishonesty in this country like it's going out of fashion, there's no morality and absolutely no sense of integrity. Our society is crumbling away and the government are doing nothing about it.
I, like most hard-working people in England work 40+ hrs a week to ensure that their families are taken care of and these toe-rags think they have the right to take it away from us...take the weapon from their hands, single them out one at a time and see how tough they are. I don't want may taxes used to keep these sc*m in prison, their parents are responsible for their children till they are 18...and most of the guilty are under 18 so let them pay for it...as for the older ones...hard labour..for life. Enough.
- Alan, East London
You can get 5 years for just having a knife; but less if you actually use a knife?
- Mickyinlondon, london
These sentences are nowhere near long enough, they are not any kind of deterrent. This eveil gang must be laughing at them, especially knowing that they will only serve half of the sentence anyway.
We will never halt this type of violent predatory crime whilst the courts are humstrung by Labour's preference for criminals over victims. It is time to reform sentencing policy to ensure that animals like these are locked up for at least 10 years for crimes of this nature.
- Matt, London, UK
I bet they're Chelsea supporters.
- Ted, London
Are they really sentences or just taster sessions?
- Martin, Teddington
I live in Wandsworth and am relieved that this filth has been removed. There are few words that can sum up how the victims must feel but thank you to our police for making the streets safer. The media should make this their main story especially as the parents had 'no idea' of what their children are up to and let's face it we still see those children on every street corner.
- S Crossley, London , England
Their parents didn't know what they were up to? Really? never thought of asking what they were up to when they went out? followed them to make sure they were keeping the right company. Absolute nonsense, what should happen is for every year sentence these young men got their parents should have got at least half.That might make sure the they know exactly where they are and what they are up to.
- James Hennessy, london england
Sadly, this will give yet more grist to the mill for the BNP; and what's the betting that they all come from "God fearing" religious backgrounds and can barely count to 10?
- Alan, London
Shoot the lot, absolute scum.
- Irene Gizelle, London UK
After four years in jail, they'll be more dangerous when they get out after all they learn in there.
- Ian, New Orleans, USA
