(MENAFN- Gulf Times) A gang of notorious smash and grab raiders - including the nephew of Birds of a Feather star Linda Robson - are facing years in jail after four members of the group were convicted in court yesterday.
The nine members of the gang took part in smash and grab raids dating back to 2007, including the raid on Selfridges in which thieves dressed in burkas to steal more than £1mn in watches.
Reece Dunford, 31, the nephew of Linda Robson, faces up to seven years in jail after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing to plotting up to 10 raids across London.
Detectives said Dunford, from Waltham Abbey, Essex, initially carried out a burglary at the warehouse of designer Alexander McQueen in 2007, in which he and accomplices made off with handbags, clothing and laptops, worth around £50,000.
But later became renowned as the "go-to" man for handling stolen goods from smash and grab raids and as payment he was offered discount items from robberies - including the Selfridges' raid.
Dunford - who enjoyed a lavish lifestyle and drove an £80,000 Range Rover - was the intermediary for the robberies - passing on goods to his contact in Hatton Garden.
Police identified watches stolen in the Selfridges raid which Dunford passed to Hatton Garden jeweller, Yair Cohen, 71, of Hackney - also convicted yesterday- to sell them on.
Both men were arrested by Flying Squad detectives just hours after a smash and grab robbery at Mappin and Webb in Fenchurch Street in the City in April last year.
Dunford's girlfriend, beautician Hollie Dowding, 25, of Waltham Abbey, also pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to conspiracy to handle stolen goods from raids on Prada and Jimmy Choo.
The gang were also involved in raids at the Jumeriah Carlton Tower Hotel and West End stores including Jimmy Choo in Westminster, Watches of Switzerland and Prada.
Dunford was snared after being forced to hand pick a team of robbers after police success in arresting smash-and-grab gangs.
Vincent Kamara, 28, of Camden, Boz Burbridge, 31, of Camden, David Mays, 33, of Bexley, and Danny St Luce, 29, of Islington, raided Mappin and Webb in April last year.
They drove up to the City store on two high-power motorcycles, using one of the bikes to burst through the doors.
Two of the men - believed to be Burbridge and Mays - ran inside, still wearing their motorcycle helmets and armed with sledgehammers and an axe. A third man, believed to be St Luce - waited outside.
They threatened terrified members of staff before Kamara directed Burbridge and Mays towards the shop displays with the most valuable watches. They smashed through the glass cabinets and made off with over £300,000 of Rolex watches.
The watches were dropped off at a house linked to the gang in Islington but less than three hours later, detectives from the Met's Flying Squad swooped on the address. In the living room, they caught Dunford and Cohen red-handed, surrounded by the stolen watches with the price tags still attached.
Cohen, Rusudan Kritcheli, 49, of Hackney, Patrick O'Brien, 23, of Islington and Kamara were all found guilty at Kingston Crown Court. Five other members of the gang pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing.
Cohen was convicted of a number of charges of handling stolen goods, Kritcheli was found guilty of "converting criminal property" and money laundering and the remaining two were convicted of conspiracy to commit robbery.
Detective constable Simon Davison of the 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."Thegang will be sentenced later this month.
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