Antoine Mensah, 21 and from Wood Green was sentenced to 13 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to rob, possession of an offensive weapon and possession of a bladed article. He’s already pleaded guilty to six counts of assault in an unrelated case.
19-year-old Miracle Osondu of Constance Street in North Woolwich pleaded guilty to conspiracy to rob as well as possession of an offensive weapon and possession of a bladed article. He has been sentenced to 11 years in prison.
17-year-old Mohammed Ali, from Ilford was jailed for eight years after pleading guilty to conspiracy to rob as well as a planned robbery, possession of an offensive weapon and possession of a bladed article.
The first incident took place in April when a taxi driver was threatened with a knife in Enfield.
In May the trio met someone from Gumtree, pretending they were going to buy a phone from him. He was then sprayed in the face and had his phone stolen.
The 40-year-old was left with a serious eye injury.
A day later the trio met another man, this time in Barking. They pretended they were selling him a phone and he was sprayed with acid before cash was stolen, before they returned and sprayed him again. The 49-year-old was forced to leave his job after losing the vision in one eye.
The gang were stopped by police while travelling in a taxi from Enfield to Ilford. They were found in possession of a bottle of PH1 acid, a 22cm long knife, nearly £2,000 in cash, balaclavas and multiple phones.
All three were charged on 17 May.
In a Victim Personal Statement, one of the victims who suffered life-changing injuries said: “The initial injuries were that my skin was burnt all over, even in my mouth and on my tongue. The whole thing was just so excessive. Even after I gave them what was in my pockets, they kept pouring acid over me, just because they could.
“When I looked in the mirror and saw my injuries for the first time, I felt like I had become a zombie in just two hours. They could have taken my money or physical possessions if they had just threatened me, I wouldn’t have fought back because they’re just possessions. Even when they threw acid over me, I still didn’t fight back and just tried to shield my face from them. It was horrid trying to wash my face and feeling the acid all over me and it was so hard to clean it off and so painful. My right eye went entirely white, which was horrible to see. Friends came to visit me and I didn’t want them to see me because I knew it would upset them.
“Socially, my life has been really impacted. I used to be an outgoing, bubbly person. I enjoyed running, cycling and other activities, and anything that relied on my eyesight has been robbed from me. My mood from day to day hinges almost entirely on my vision and my medical condition. I feel happier when it improves, but that rarely lasts, and when it hasn’t improved or is worse, I feel worse too. Even things that don’t rely on my eyesight I have been less willing to do. I used to never be at home and would always be out socialising, but now I’m always at home, I feel tired and sleep a lot. I used to be a really trusting person, but since what happened I have lost so much confidence in other people.”
Investigating officer Detective Constable James Rush, from Enfield Major Crime Unit, said: “These males appeared to feel no guilt over their actions, using strong acids, alkalis, and knives, to rob and maim their victims without a second thought for the impact the injuries they inflicted would have.
“Over the course of their offending they carried out 19 robberies, leaving victims with life-changing injuries. They also conspired to rob many more.
“They are dangerous individuals and these lengthy prison sentences are the only way to ensure the public are kept safe.
“Their behaviour is truly shocking. I commend the bravery of all the victims and witnesses who provided the evidence to help secure these convictions.
“I would also commend the efforts and teamwork of the many officers across multiple units whose work contributed to this excellent result.”
Tags: Ilford, Barking
