UK Court Hands Down Prison Sentence to 26-Year-Old Wasiu Following String of Robberies

n n

Wasiu Smith. Photo by DailyMail

n

Nigerian-born immigrant, Wasiu Smith, 26, went berserk and mugged four men in an ‘out-of-control’ crime spree, has been jailed five years.

n

Read Also: List of countries that don’t need visa to enter Germany

n

Wasiu stole several phones, a work laptop and an heirloom ring worth £600 during a series of robberies outside Farringdon Tube station on November 4, DailyMail reported.

n

He claimed that he had travelled to the area simply to see the Christmas lights, even when they were not turned on.

n

Smith was born in Nigeria but has a Dutch passport. He has lived in the UK since 2019, and settled in Shropshire, later moving to Walsall.

n

Robbery spree

n

One of Smith’s victims was Alex Belsham-Harris, head of Energy Consumer Markets at the charity Citizens Advice, prosecutor Adrian Yallan told the court.

n

Mr Belsham-Harris had just left the gym when Smith, with a scarf pulled over his face, lunged towards him and delivered a series of blows behind his ear.

n

He then made off with Mr Belsham-Harris’s bag, which contained his work laptop.

n

After the attack, Mr Belsham-Harris was dizzy and could barely stand. He sought refuge in a nearby Tesco, the prosecutor told the court.

n

Bonny Wambulu had been standing outside his office on Farringdon Road when Smith ‘ran towards him at speed’ and told him not to move.

n

He repeatedly shouted ‘give me money’ and acted as though he was concealing a weapon in his pocket.

n

Panicked, Mr Wambulu put his hands up and told Smith he didn’t have any money.

n

Smith’s third victim, Alexander Burgess, had just had an opal ring repaired at a jewellers and was walking towards Farringdon station.

n

Smith spotted the ring and made frantic gestures to Mr Burgess, threatening to punch him while again acting like he was concealing a weapon.

n

Mr Burgess handed the ring over and Smith threatened to punch him again, telling the victim to ‘go away’.

n

His fourth victim was Michael Evesque, a managing director of lighting company Bert Frank, who had been walking towards his office on Farringdon Road.

n

Smith had been ‘standing in the middle of the pavement’ with his arms and legs outstretched to block people walking past, the court was told.

n

Police officers later caught up with Smith on a bus with the stolen property and a wrap of crack cocaine.

n

When questioned, Smith claimed the opal ring and stolen rucksack were his, that he had been attacked by unknown individuals, and the drugs were planted. DailyMail

n n