A violent “smash-and-grab” gang who wore burqas during a string of high-profile raids in London are facing prison after four members of the group were convicted.
The gang took part in raids dating back to 2007, including a heist at Selfridges department store in which £1.5m worth of watches were stolen.
Four of the gang were convicted at Kingston crown court on Friday for their part in the raids, while five others had already pleaded guilty to their involvement.
The gang was responsible for 10 raids in total, including two at Prada in Old Bond Street in October and November 2013 when the shutters were forced open and £20,000 worth of handbags were stolen. Another raid took place at Jimmy Choo in March 2014, when members of the gang stole £22,000 worth of handbags, as well as at Alexander McQueen’s warehouse in Islington in November 2007 when laptops, clothing and handbags worth £50,000 were taken.
When the gang raided Selfridges in June 2013 they forced their way into the Oxford Street store wearing burqas and armed with sledgehammers.
Reece Dunford, 31, from Waltham Abbey, Essex, who is the nephew of Birds of a Feather star Linda Robson, was involved in every robbery. He was caught after hand-picking a team of four to carry out a raid on the Mappin & Webb jewellers in the City of London in April last year armed with axes and sledgehammers.
They initially escaped with more than £300,000 worth of Rolex watches before they were tracked down by police and arrested. It was only then that police uncovered the gang’s connections to previous crimes.
Investigating officer, DC Simon Davison of the Metropolitan police’s flying squad, said: “These smash and grabs were aggressive. Sometimes, the robbers threatened innocent people with sledgehammers and axes in order to get to the goods.
“Dunford was involved in every incident in one way or another and clearly started to think he was untouchable. These convictions are proof that the flying squad will relentlessly pursue anyone who tries to make a living from crimes like these.”
Dunford built up a reputation for selling high-value stolen goods to buyers including a Hatton Garden jeweller, Yair Cohen. Dunford pleaded guilty to seven counts of conspiracy to handle stolen goods, one count of conspiracy to rob, two counts of conspiracy to burgle and one count of conspiracy to produce class B drugs.
His girlfriend, Hollie Dowding, 25, of Waltham Abbey, Essex, pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to handle stolen goods. Boz Burbridge, 31, of Camden; David Mays, 33, of Bexley, and Danny St Luce, 29, of Islington, all pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to rob.
Yair Cohen, 71, of Hackney, was found guilty of three counts of handling stolen goods, one count of converting criminal property and one count of money laundering. Rusudan Kritcheli, 49, from Hackney was found guilty of converting criminal property and one count of money laundering, Vincent Kamara, 28, of Camden, and Patrick Spencer O’Brien, 23, from Islington, were both found guilty of conspiracy to commit robbery. The nine defendants will be sentenced at the end of the month.