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G-Block gang member says sorry from Feltham cell
Aline Nassif11.05.09
A teenage member of a robbery gang that terrorised Londoners today apologised for “failing to help” the victims.
Peter Hyatt, who was jailed for four-and-a-half-years for his involvement with the G-Block gang, said his sentence was punishment for not standing up for what he believed was right.
The 18-year-old was one of eight thugs who used sticks, hammers and mallets in six months of attacks on up to 100 people as they walked home.
Described in court as behaving like “a gang of wild dogs”, they singled out professionals, often lone women. One victim nearly choked to death when a youth stamped on her neck.
The masked gang boasted about the attacks on social networking sites, posting pictures of themselves with knives and other weapons.
Speaking from his cell at Feltham young offender institution, Hyatt told his mother: “I'm disgusted I was involved but I never used a weapon and I never harmed anyone. I regret not helping the victims. I regret not trying to stop the attacks. I regret not reporting what happened.”
Kim Hyatt, 45, claims her son became “trapped” after joining G-Block for protection, having been stabbed and beaten outside his house in Tooting by a gang of three youths who stole his mobile phone in October 2006.
Mrs Hyatt said: “My son was living in constant fear of several gangs — our area is overrun with them, and they are vicious. When he was introduced to the G-Block gang it was a question of safety in numbers', he told me. I don't think he realised what he'd let himself in for. Of course he didn't approve of their violence, but at the same time he didn't see how he could get out.
“He was afraid to grass them up, he had no faith the police could help and he didn't want to get me involved as he knew I'd kick up a fuss and probably make things worse.”
Peter was introduced to the gang by convicted 18-year-old Abdi Nur, who also attended Graveney School, in Tooting. The attacks were carried out between July and December 2007.
Mrs Hyatt said her son “wouldn't hurt a fly” and ran away during one mugging. She added: “I'm still in shock how he became involved in that vicious gang. Peter doesn't come from a broken home. It shows how bad our society has become that even the innocent ones get sucked in.
“As a family we absolutely condemn and are sickened by those vile crimes. If I thought my son set out to prey on defenceless commuters I'd be telling them to throw away the key.”
G-Block's crime spree ended when two gang members were identified by a couple who were robbed after leaving a bar in Wandsworth. Following the arrests offences in the area dropped by more than 160 in six months.
The gang were jailed for conspiracy to rob. The 18-year-old ringleader, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was given seven years. Abdi Nur, Jerome Blake, 15, and Akheem Gray, 17, were each jailed for four years. Ameel Gray, 16, got three-and-a-half years, Lufter Ahmed, 19, three years, and Jordan Rattray, 17, two years.
Reader views (23)
In all our rage against gangs and unthinkable crimes being committed against our decent members of society, could it be possible that we have over looked the sorry defendant's story?
In one part of the article it says 'One victim nearly choked to death when a youth stamped on her neck'.
Any person who had the power to prevent this from happening and did not take the opportunity to do so, shows gross negligence in it's most absolute form. The sorry defendant failed to act as a decent human being, shattering any hope of an apology to be accepted.
London is in ruins and it seems crimes only get worse by the day. Are we to wait for what is left of this 'once was great' city to be completely destroyed? Will we do nothing until all hope and decency has eternally evaporated from our land never to rain again?
I for one, will not...
- Justice, London
he's not a thug at all..he's a lovely person! i know coz i went to school with him. ur taking it peronally coz the GANG prayed on single mothers..which is terrible, my mothers a single mother but like he said he did nothing! and at least he was decent enough to apologise an he took responsibility for the wrong of standing by and watchingg! and like his mother said it was a defence mechanism..strength in numbers. but that doesnt make what happened right. these boys from graveney are the most unlikelyy people to ever be in a gang or mug or even hurt someone. i want to know why they were named and shamed and the ones that actually had their hands on the victims didnt. legal reasoons :S thats lucky. an going to a hard prison will make these children worse not better coz u have to become much harder so i completelyy dissagree with previous comments. he is no thug. jus made friends with the wrong people at the wrong time and he's paying the price.
- ....., wandsworth
I think peter was socialising with the wrong people, he said he never hurt anyone so why has he got 4years?
He was probably scared after being beaten up and stabbed outside his own house! With the police doing a rubbish job what else could he do but look up to people in a gang who would protect him? we know he was a good kid because he didnt hurt anybody.. only just turning 18 this has ruined his life! when he comes out of prision some time in 2013 being in his early 20's whats he going to do for a living? he wont get a decent job. i feel sorry for him and think this is unjust. he did'nt even hurt anyone
- Fredrick, London
We have this Drug Gang Yob culture in South Luton, The Police and MP Does Nothing, Margaret Moran Mp is too busy doing up her 3 homes...
The more of us that report these Gangs the minute they are seen hanging about the better, even if they appear not to be doing any harm, they sure as hell are!!! why wear hoodies with hoods up... in broad daylight on a sunny day
Quote "The policing pledge" when telephoning the police and something has to be done, those magic words empower the Police to act in your area.
i hope this helps you all.
- Derek Smith, Luton
I find these coments made by the scumbag Hyatt a joke he says he sorry now cos he got caught hes a thug and as for his mother saying he wouldn't hurt a Fly I too am a mother and have brought my childen up on my own and have taught them respect so what respect has she taught he sweet little thug of a son. what he seems to lack in saying is that he ran away from one why did he not stay away from the other gang members as far as I can see he loved and enjoyed the pain he inflicted on single women how would hew like it if it happen to his mother! So may I finally say 4and half years is not long enough he should serve at least 10years but in a big mans jail such as Brixton/Wandsworth lets see how he would react to that Feltham is for babies, so we need to have the Law changed and put thugs in hard prisons, we should be like other countires such as America he wouldn't last a day.
- E Mcdonald, surrey
This short of horse manure simply reinforces the totally bankrupt Labour nonsense of refusing to blame the perpetrators of violence and theft because "it's all our faults". No wonder violent crime is raging in London when we have a Government that thinks more of the criminals than of their victims.
- Matt, London, UK
Teenagers want to be part of gangs and if they are not they will be singled out and bullied this depends where you live. Why can't we see this problem. Everyone wants our problems to be reported to police. But police do not have any rights to take action against parents.
So here is my question.
Who is responsible for teenagers?
- Santosh, Hillingdon
Judging by these comments, I think they should lock-up the mother too!
- Paxton, N17
"These are the offspring of irresponsible single mothers so not much discipline taught" with respect, what disapline can they give them these days? You certainly can't hit a kid, in fact its even frowned upon to shout at them now. I'm certainly not defending this or any other gang, but i believe that much of the blame lies with our overly PC culture
- Barry, woking, GB
Was Peter Hyatt not sorry at the time these offences were taking place? One of those female victims could have been "your mother"? You now know the difference between right and wrong?? Mrs Hyatt just own up and face the consequences - your son was caught!!! There's a difference between being "brought up" and "dragged up"!!!
- Pearl, London
I agree with every comment made by Alan of East London although I will add my two penneth worth. Mrs Hyatt chose to turn a blind eye on her sons antics and here she is trying to convince the nation that he was a good boy. What she's forgetting though is that her son is now likely to get a beating from his thug friends inside prison for his comments basically blaming them for everything when he really should've said all this while he was at liberty and could've saved many people from the terrible fate that they suffered. Maybe then he'll really appreciate what the victims went through. Good. Hope it hurts!
- Lorraine, London
Hey Steve, let's not forget the irresponsible fathers in all this. It takes two in case you've forgotten.
- Londoner, London
No wonder he turned out like he did with a mother like that, who either doesn't have a clue or couldn't care less.
- Dereck, London, England
Throw away the key, he isn't so "hard" now is he behind bars.
Oh and watch the showers Peter !
- P Staker, London
The worrying thing is there's gangs like this all over the country,hundreds of them.What chance do the police have,or us for that matter?
These are the offspring of irresponsible single mothers so not much discipline taught,if at all.
- Steve, London
The only thing he's sorry about is he got caught. Who put him up to this? His solicitor looking for an appeal or an early release?
- Mike, Herts
There are no innocent, in gang crimes. Insulting nice and gentle peoples, just to get money by easy means.Very sorry to say that parents could not check their activities.
Only sever punishment and immediate justice can control such gang. Good parents should control their children.
- M.A Sular, London
Peter Hyatt states “I'm disgusted I was involved but I never used a weapon and I never harmed anyone"...never hurt anyone??? excuse me... what about the traumatic affect he's had on the victims..what about the affect it's had on society. We as citizens have the right to walk down any street at any time of the day or night without worrying about muggings, attacks, etc. As for the mother's statement that her son “wouldn't hurt a fly”, maybe he wouldn't, but he didn't think twice when going out hurting people..Mrs Hyatt, wake up and smell the coffee, your son is a thug. Didn't you ever question where he was getting money, phones, etc, etc from? Didn't you ever question where he was going at night, who he was hanging with? As for the comment "If I thought my son set out to prey on defenceless commuters I'd be telling them to throw away the key.”...so the 100 victims were not defenceless commuters...I think you should just throw away the key now. If you are so concerned about the impact that this has had, why don't you and all the other parents make a statement as such.
- Alan, East London
Where is the father in all this? The usual disappearing act as is normally the case in these circumstances. He has probably fathered a dozen more similar off-spring.
- David, London
When you consider the number of crimes these scum committed in terrorising hard working decent peopIe the sentences shouId have been much Ionger.
Nevermind, they can enjoy gang Iife behind bars with an X Box thrown in and come earIy even worse.
- Alex Gould, Islington
He was given the second longest sentence in the gang yet she describes him as "innocent". I think she is in complete denial, if he truely thought it was wrong he would have minimised his involvement. In fact he looks like a leading member. This mother needs to look at herself and decide why her son lacks the mental strength to say no. Perhaps he has been indulged by his mother's rose tinted specs.
- Jon, london,England
So Peter, youre sorry now, huh? Your mother said you wouldnt hurt a fly, she didnt know you so well did she?!
Let's see you put something back into society, shun your so called gang members and show people that what you did for years was unacceptable, then, let the victims decide whether they'll accept your aplogies.
Also Mrs Hyatt, your boy is too old to be hiding behind your skirt now, he chose this path now let him deal with the consequences.
- Sue, London
Mrs Hyatt says her son “wouldn't hurt a fly”. The evidence says otherwise. The court says otherwise. He is a thug. Deal with it Mrs Hyatt, don't deny it. Your son is a monster. Other parents who don't know or care what their children are up to should take a long hard look at you and realise where this 'hear no evil see no evil' attitude ends up.
- Jf, London
