Following an investigation by detectives from the Met’s London Crime Squad, four men were sentenced at Harrow Crown Court on Monday, 18 July for conspiracy to commit residential or commercial burglaries between May and November 2015.
Van Whitelock, 28 (6.05.88) of High Street, Barnet was sentenced to six years and eight months for conspiracy to commit burglary and six years and eight months for possession of criminal property to run concurrently. In addition, he was sentenced to two years for possession with intent to supply cocaine resulting in a total sentence of eight years and eight months imprisonment.
Barry Knowles, 30 (16.08.85) of Belmont Street, NW1 was sentenced to five years and ten months imprisonment for conspiracy to commit burglary and five years and ten months for possession of criminal property to run concurrently.
Craig Jobbins-David, 32 (28.08.83) of Maitland Park Villas, NW3 was sentenced to four years imprisonment for conspiracy to commit burglary and four years imprisonment for possession of criminal property – to run concurrently.
Shaka Cole, 32 (30.11.83) of Sydney Road, N10 was sentenced to four years imprisonment for conspiracy to commit burglary and four years imprisonment for possession of criminal property – to run concurrently.
Two other men had previously been sentenced. They are:
Joshua Scott, 30 (10.05.85), Sawyer Close, N9 was sentenced on Monday, 4 July to 19 months imprisonment for two counts of burglary conspiracy to commit burglary.
Shumel Miah, 25 (27.07.90), of Pioneer House, Brittania Street, WC1 was sentenced on Friday, 1 July to 16 months imprisonment (suspended) for conspiracy to commit burglary.
The gang targeted business premises housing cash machines [ATMs] and broke into the safe compartment of the machine to access the cash. In doing so they also caused damage to the building housing the ATM. They also targeted residential addresses where they believed that they would find high value items.
In all of the cases, including the residential addresses, cutting equipment was used to break into cash safes.
Of particular significance was their unsuccessful attempt to rob the safe compartment of the ATM in the Foyer of Enfield Chase Railway Station. The gang of six arrived at the station at around 02:15hrs on 14 June 2015. They arrived in a white Ford Transit van and were dressed in high visibility clothing, hard hats and face masks consistent with that worn by railway personnel. They unloaded a number of items of cutting equipment and sheeting from the van and then boarded up the station entrance with wooden panels.
The gang stayed inside the station for around 90 minutes before leaving empty-handed. The safe compartment of the ATM had not been opened.
The following day they returned to the station and carried cutting equipment and gas canisters inside.
On the second evening, police stopped Miah and Cole, in a vehicle Miah was driving, close to the station. Miah and Cole alerted the suspects who were still at the station who made good their escape leaving the station boarded up. They had again been unable to access the cash compartment of the ATM and left empty-handed.
Commuters arriving at the station in the morning found the entrance still boarded up and were unable to access rail services.
CCTV viewed by detectives during the investigation showed the Ford Transit in convoy with a silver MPV belonging to Shumel Miah following the burglary.
The gang had meticulously removed CCTV recordings units from inside every one of the venues they burgled leaving no interior footage of the crimes.
On 11 November 2015, officers from the Met’s London Crime Squad arrested Whitelock, Knowles, Jobbins-David and Cole following a proactive operation where they were seen to be driving around looking for residential addresses to target in the Brookmans Park area of Hertfordshire.
Scott was arrested in December 2015 and Miah was arrested in January this year.
Following the arrests, officers identified a storage unit controlled by the group and recovered approximately £11,000 cash.
At the time of arrest, Whitelock and Knowles, were on licence for other burglary offences. Part of the case against Whitelock involved footage released by the BBC of repair work conducted following the Kingsway Tunnel fire. Whitelock was shown carrying out his work in the footage which clearly identified that he had access to high visibility safety clothing the type of which was used in the Enfield Chase offence.
Whilst employed on the Kingsway Tunnel repairs, Whitelock was trained in climbing, rope training and working in confined spaces. Officers believe that he employed these skills to further his criminal activities.
Five of the suspects appeared at Harrow Crown Court on Monday, 21 March for a Plea and Case Management Hearing where Whitelock, Knowles, Jobbins-David and Cole all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to burgle and being in possession of criminal property.
Whitelock also pleaded guilty to a separate but related charge of possession with intent to supply Cocaine that was a stand-alone indictment.
Joshua Scott pleaded not guilty and made representations that he should be charged with burglary instead of conspiracy to commit burglary. The court denied this request and Scott was on bail remanded in custody for trial at Harrow Crown Court on Monday, 9 May.
Scott pleaded guilty to two counts of burglary. He was remanded in custody to await sentence on Thursday, 12 May at Harrow Crown Court.
Whitelock, Knowles, Jobbins-David and Cole were remanded in custody to await trial or sentencing.
Shumel Miah appeared for a plea and case management hearing at Harrow Crown Court on Wednesday, 20 April where he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary. He was remanded on bail in custody for sentencing.
Detective Sergeant Peter MacDonald, of London Crime Squad, said: “This group committed organised, professional burglaries specifically targeting high value residential addresses in London and the Home Counties.
“The public venues they targeted caused inconvenience to community and the victims of the residential burglaries have the unenviable task of coming to terms with being a victim of crime – the effects of which run far deeper than a loss of property. I hope that the sentences handed down today bring the victims a measure of comfort and closure.”
Detective Inspector James Hale, of the London Crime Squad, said: “This was an audacious series of crimes that were often committed in broad daylight with the gang dressed as workmen.
“I would like to congratulate my team that has worked tirelessly to bring these offenders to justice presenting a wealth of compelling evidence against them. I am very pleased that their hard work has paid off.”