Man jailed for string of robberies and a burglary in Clapham
A man has been jailed for 12 years for two robberies and a house burglary that took place just 300 metres apart in Clapham.
Lee Anthony Smith, 39, of no fixed abode, was handed the sentence after the court heard of two violent robberies, one of which was with a man he took on a date.
On the evening of May 20 2018, Smith, who used a fake name of Luke met up with the victim in Prescott Place for a drink.
When the date came to an end, Smith took the victim through an alleyway towards the high street and aggressively made advances towards the victim, who refused.
In reaction Smith assaulted him and beat him over the head before taking his Rolex watch, iPhone and debit card.
This attack caused his victim significant injuries, including fractures to the cheek bone, afterwards Smith went on to use the stolen debit card to buy food.
Earlier in the year on February 8 2018, Smith went to a house on Kenwyn Road where he demanded money from one of the occupants claiming that he was owed drug money.
He forced the victim to withdraw £250 from a nearby ATM and pay him on the spot.
On July 11 2018, Smith returned to the same place and broke into the house in the early hours of the morning and stole a backpack containing bankcards that he used only moments after the burglary.
He has now been convicted of all charges which, in total, includes; three counts of fraud and a count of burglary relating to the incidents in February and July 2018; and a count of robbery and another of fraud on 20 May 2018.
He will serve nine years for robbery and a further three for burglary – both to run consecutively.
His sentences for fraud totalling five months will run consecutively.
In a statement to the court, the victim of the robbery in May said: “After the incident it took me six months to return to work due to suffering PTSD.
“I have been to the doctors because I have been suffering with anxiety since the robbery and I have never had it before. I still have numbness to the left side of the head where I was hit and I still have a scar.
“It has made me question my own personal judgement and broken my trust in people.”
Detective Raymond Sekalongo, of the Central South CID, said:“We are pleased with the length of the sentence that Smith has received.
“Our investigation team, led by myself and Detective Constable Aimee Doutch, has been very thorough, leaving no stone unturned, and has resulted in another dangerous criminal being brought to justice.
“Smith is a destructive and unstable person who brutally robbed and terrorised his victims for absolutely no reason. The impact his actions had on the victims has left psychological and physical damage that could last a lifetime.
“I hope the victims can begin feel more confident and at peace now that Smith has been jailed.”