London bike gang who snatched mobile phones out of hands in hour long spree caught by armed police

A pair of E-bike riding thieves who snatched mobile phones off the public during a one hour spree in central London have both been sent to prison. Kymani Wilson, 22, of Brent, was jailed for three years and two months, while Claude Parkinson, 25, of Islington, was handed a two year and eight month term for four counts of theft at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Monday, November 11.

The court heard that between 2pm and 3pm on May 23, Wilson and Parkinson committed a series of robberies and thefts of mobile phones on E-bikes in the boroughs of Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea.

The pair were tracked by a National Police Air Service helicopter at the scene, as well as armed police vehicles, who followed them from central London towards Islington. There, they were found to have dropped off stolen items to associates in a pub on Caledonian Road near King's Cross before entering a nearby estate to hide from police.

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Armed officers located the estate and stormed the property around 20 minutes later, where they arrested the two men and took them to custody. Officers gathered evidence from multiple victims and witnesses which helped them build a case against the duo.

Detective Chief Inspector Scott Ware said: "We know mobile phone theft is a huge worry for people, and it is particularly frightening to have something snatched out of your hands from someone on a bike. We’ve worked hard to build a case and gather evidence to convict these two offenders and get them put behind bars.

"We know what a significant impact this type of a crime has on victims so please rest assured cracking down on it and getting these villains off our streets is a priority for us."

London's streets face an epidemic of 'snatch thefts' which have soared 150 per cent in the last year, according to the Office for National Statistics' Crime Survey data

In addition to jail terms, Wilson and Parkinson were also sentenced to one count each of dangerous driving, while Parkinson was also convicted for one count of breaching a Criminal Behaviour Order.

If you witness or are a victim of a crime, call 999 in the case of an emergency. For non-emergency situations, you can call 101 or report online.

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