Friday 6 May 2011

£1m Torture Gang Jailed For Jewellery Shop Raid


Three members of a vicious home-invasion gang, who handcuffed and tortured a middle-aged jewellery shop couple before looting their business of £1m worth of gems and watches, have been caged.

The husband, 56, was bashed over the head with a brick, dragged naked from his bath, threatened with an axe and handcuffed along with his terrified 50 year-old wife at their Moray Road, Finsbury Park home in North London.

He was threatened with having his fingers chopped off if he did not co-operate with the masked gang and give them keys and security codes to his shop, ‘Blingers’ (pictured) in Fore Street, Upper Edmonton.

They are: Gary Williams, 38, (pic 2nd top) of Whittle Close, Walthamstow, who received 10-and-a-half years for conspiracy to burgle and concealing £800,000 worth of stolen jewellery.

Leon Williams, 37, (pic. 3rd top) of Cranley Gardens, Muswell Hill, who received ten years for conspiracy to burgle.

Turker Mustafa, 28, (pic. 4th top) of Foundry Gate, Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, who received eight-and-a-half years for conspiracy to burgle.

Kady Wilson, 24, (pic bottom) of Tuscany House, Medici Close, Ilford, dodged prison with twelve month suspended sentence for concealing £800,000 of stolen jewellery.

Gary Williams was also ordered to pay £20,000 court costs and will be subject to a confiscation order after being found wearing two watches together worth £100,000 when he was arrested.

Detective Inspector Mark Raymond, of Operation Trident, said: “This violent and audacious crime was well-planned and co-ordinated with every effort made to avoid detection and arrest.

“Their purpose was to steal one million pounds worth of jewellery with no regard for the victims.

“Trident is committed to prosecuting those who cause harm, intimidate others and threaten the lives of decent people going about their legitimate business.

“We will do all in our power to bring violent offenders to justice, dismantle organised criminal networks and provide reassurance to the community.”

Just before midnight two masked men suddenly burst into the bathroom and attacked the husband after smashing their way into the property via patio doors.

The wife was awoken by a number of masked men who grabbed her.

The couple were handcuffed behind their backs and threatened with an axe, which was held against the male victim's neck and face.

He was told his fingers would be cut off unless he co-operated.

The suspects demanded keys and safe combinations to the jewellery shop and two of them left with the husband’s mobile phone and a set of keys.

Shortly after a call was made from the mobile to the flat and the victims quizzed at length about the shop's alarm and security systems and how to find various other keys.

The remaining suspects then left the flat, leaving the victims on the bed and handcuffed.

The husband managed to open the front door with his teeth and shouted to the neighbours for help.

The neighbour called police and the couple needed the help of the fire service to remove the handcuffs and received treatment at the Whittington Hospital for minor injuries.

The shop was ransacked with £1million worth of jewellery and watches stolen.

Witnesses saw two men wearing yellow high-visibility jackets with security written on enter the premises.

After stealing the goods they left via the back of the shop.

Acting on a tip-off armed police stopped a Toyota Avensis car three days later on May 11 containing Kady Wilson and Gary Williams in Andrews Road, Hackney.

In the boot was a holdall containing a large amount of jewellery and more jewellery was found at Kady Wilson's home.

Later the same day, Mustafa was arrested in his Mitsubishi Colt car in West Green Road, Archway.

Leon Williams was later arrested on July 13.

To date about £200,000 of jewellery has not been recovered.

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