In a bizarre turn of events, a man who brazenly robbed a NatWest bank by threatening to detonate a fake Tupperware box bomb has been sentenced to over five years in prison after he used the stolen £5,000 to pay off parking fines owed to Ealing Council.
Bruno Felix-Navalha, a 40-year-old consultant residing at Newark Crescent in Ealing, found himself deep in debt to the tune of £60,000 when he decided to commit the audacious heist. Donning a hood, reflective sunglasses, and a Covid mask, he entered the Park Royal branch of NatWest, armed with a food container box that he had disguised as an improvised explosive device (IED). He threatened bank clerks with the fake bomb, claiming he would detonate it if they didn’t fill his rucksack with cash.
Despite the fear and uncertainty instilled by Felix-Navalha’s threat, bank employees complied with his demand, handing over £5,000 in notes. The robber then added a chilling element to his crime by informing a terrified clerk that there was another bomb positioned at the bank’s door, set to explode in 20 minutes. He instructed her to wait until then before contacting the police.
Amidst the chaos, one of the bank’s occupants managed to activate the panic alarm, alerting the authorities to the unfolding robbery. The bank was promptly evacuated, and police were dispatched to the scene.
Upon their arrival, detectives scoured the bank’s CCTV footage, which eventually led them to Bruno Felix-Navalha’s residence. There, he was arrested and taken into custody at Hammersmith Police Station.
During the subsequent questioning, Felix-Navalha chose not to consult with a solicitor and instead made a full confession. He revealed that his motivation for the robbery was to settle his £60,000 debt, highlighting the desperate circumstances that had driven him to commit the crime.
On November 10, 2023, Bruno Felix-Navalha pleaded guilty to charges of robbery and a bomb hoax in Isleworth Crown Court. His sentencing occurred on December 21, with the court imposing a prison term of over five years for his actions.
