Armed robbers jailed for a string of bookmaker robberies across London

BY TOBY PORTER
toby@slpmedia.co.uk

Two men who committed more than a dozen armed robberies at bookmakers across London have been jailed for 18 years at Kingston Crown Court.

Cameron Weston, 29, of Balfern Street, Battersea and Nathan Ugbaja, 29, of Gipsy Hill, West Norwood were charged with conspiracy to rob and possession of a firearm in May 2018.

Weston pleaded guilty to his involvement and Ugbaja was found guilty on Monday, November 12 following a six-day trial at Kingston Crown Court.

Both defendants were jailed on Wednesday, November 28 at the same court.

Weston was sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment, and Ugbaja was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment. Weston and Ugbaja were responsible for a total of 20 robberies which took place between December 27, 2017 and May 25 this year.

The first six offences occurred within a one-mile radius of each other in the Battersea area, and approximately a mile away from Weston’s home address.

Weston and Ugbaja then moved their offending to south of Battersea and into Croydon and Bromley. On two occasions the suspects committed three offences in one day.

In each of the robberies, Weston would produce a firearm covered in a sock and use this to threaten staff to hand over cash. Ugbaja acted as the getaway driver.

Detectives from the Met’s Flying Squad launched an investigation into the series of robberies in December 2017.

Throughout the course of the five-month investigation, officers used a range of tactics to identify and track Weston and Ugbaja.

Detectives discovered a range of forensic and CCTV evidence which linked the pair to the offences.

Analysis of the suspects’ phones also positioned them in the location of the offences on each occasion.

Covert surveillance was conducted on the pair, and Weston was arrested by officers from the Met’s Specialist Firearms Command after committing three offences in one day.

When arrested, Weston was found in possession of an imitation firearm and clothing from the robberies.

Detective Sergeant Tim Fines, from the Met’s Flying Squad, said: “This was a painstaking investigation which spanned many months.

These suspects were incredibly audacious and committed a number of offences in the same day, and often around the corner from their home addresses.

I am proud of the officers who worked for months on this case showcasing dedication and professionalism throughout.

I am also grateful to our colleagues in the Specialist Firearms Command who assisted us in arresting these violent offenders.

This investigation should send a clear message to anyone considering carrying out such crimes that we are incredibly experienced in tracking down the most audacious of criminals, and we will find you and arrest you using all powers available to us.”