Pictured: Dimofti and Mandi
A store in London Road was targeted in December 2016, with three men ransacking the premises while the owner was tied up with duct tape.
He was also strangled but ‘played dead’ so they left him alone.
£400,000 worth of jewellery was stolen and when police arrived, the found the store owner “covered in blood and badly shaken, with duct tape still on his clothing.”
Detective Constable Andy Davenport, from the Met’s Flying Squad, said: “This was a pre-meditated and carefully planned attack in which the defendants were intent on using extensive force in order to rob the shop.
“As well as suffering physical injury and considerable financial loss, the victim was left traumatised by this incident.”
Investigators analysed CCTV and discovered Alin-Viorel Dimofti and Cristi-Adi Mandi had been into the store 10 days prior to the robbery and befriended the victim.
Dimofti, left, and Mandi were caught on CCTV in the shop
On the night of the incident, Dimofti waited outside the shop until it was closed and with the shutters down.
Mandi, who was elsewhere, phoned the shop and said his friends were outside with jewellery to sell.
The victim raised the shutter and was distracted by Dimofti, who offered him cheap jewellery before carrying out the attack.
The investigation later identified a car containing Dimofti and Mandi entering the UK via the Eurotunnel on 9 December 2016 and leaving from Folkstone on the evening of the robbery.
Police located the car used by the suspects in March 2017, at which point officers found one gold ring in the rear passenger footwell. This was the only item of jewellery ever recovered.
In February 2019, Police issued European Arrest Warrants for both defendants.
On Thursday, 14 March, Dimofti was arrested in France and extradited to the UK and charged with conspiracy to rob on Friday, 29 March.
Mandi was arrested in Italy on Wednesday, 13 March and extradited to the UK. He was charged with the same offence on Friday, 10 May.
Dimofti, 27, of St Albans Road, Watford, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment.
Mandi, 27, of no fixed address, was found guilty on Wednesday, 25 September of conspiracy to rob following a trial at Southwark Crown Court.
He was sentenced today at Southwark Crown Court to 12 years’ imprisonment.
DC Davenport, from the Met’s Flying Squad, added: “(The victim) has had to relive the events of that night by giving evidence at Mandi’s trial and we hope these custodial sentences bring him some kind of closure.
“We are pleased the defendants are now behind bars and we hope this result shows our commitment to getting dangerous individuals off the streets of London.”
Tags: Barking
