The group of males, aged 15 to 22-years-old, raided 42 Carphone Warehouse stores in London and surrounding areas over a six-month period.
CCTV footage showed shoppers and members of staff being caught in the violence as gang members wrenched stock from display stands.
In one clip a frightened mother is shown rushing to pick up her son before he is caught up in the gang's dash for the exit.
The youths caused over £50,000 worth of damage between July and December last year.
They typically operated in a large group, travelling together to the shop they planned to steal from.
They were sentenced at Southwark Crown Court after admitting conspiracy to commit burglary.
Detective Inspector Mark Loving, from the National Mobile Phone Crime Unit (NMPCU), said: "This case should act as a warning to anyone involved in this type of activity that the Met and NMPCU willrobustly and swiftly deal with those who use intimidation to fulfil their greed."
Jahreau Shepherd, 22, of Orsett Street, Lambeth and 21-year-old Ugo Wilson, of Aviation Drive, Barnet, were jailed for four years and 27 months respectively.
Perry Hedges, 18, of Howard Road, Kingston, was sentenced to 26 months' detention in a young offenders' institution.
Emmanuel Kakala, 18, of Cargreen Road, Croydon was given a suspended 18-month prison sentence and ordered to do 80 hours of community service, while 20-year-old Samuel Warnes, of Egleston Road, Merton, received a suspended 12-month prison sentence and one year's supervision.
Three boys, aged 15, 16 and 17, were all sentenced to detention and training for 10, 18 and 12 months respectively.
Steaming is a slang word for a robbery performed on a train but also refers to large groups of thieves who target shops at once.
No comments:
Post a Comment