The gang, who were all charged with and pleaded guilty to robbery, appeared at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Friday, 4 February.
They were sentenced at the same court on Friday, 18 March as follows:
- Alan Kelly, 27 of Moray Road, Islington was sentenced to 10 years and nine months’ imprisonment.
- David Kelly, 37 of HMP Highdown, Surrey was sentenced to nine years and eight months’ imprisonment.
- Corrie Moroney, 29 of Highbury New Park, Islington was sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment.
- Lewis Sokhi, 28 of Englefield Road, Islington was sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment.
The judge, Philip Brook Smith QC also issued Serious Crime Prevention Orders (SCPOs) banning them using e-bicycles – which they used to carry out the robbery – after their release.
He further commended the lead investigating officer, Detective Constable David Reed, for the high level of professionalism in the investigation that led to the group being tracked down and brought to justice.
DC Reed, said: “Targeting violent crime is the absolute top priority for everyone in the Met, so I am very pleased to see these sentences and SCPOs handed down today. We’re determined to do everything we can to keep the public safe by disrupting and deterring high harm offenders.
“The results today are a clear warning to anyone else concerned in such offences that whatever tactics you use, the MPS will investigate you, we will find you, and we’ll do everything in our power to make sure you go to prison.”
At around 19:30hrs on 21 November 2020 the victim, a man aged in his 20s, was leaving a hotel in Stratton Street, Mayfair, to go to his car.
He was approached by a group of four men who were all riding e-bicycles.
One of the men launched an attack on the victim before the other three joined in and he was taken to the floor. As punches and kicks rained down on him, a large ‘Rambo knife’ was pulled out by one of the suspects.
A Rolex watch worth £25,000 and two diamond rings worth £9,000 each were stolen.
Security staff at the hotel attempted to intervene and help the victim but the group fled. Response officers conducted an area search but they could not be found.
The victim was left incredibly shaken following the incident but fortunately did not suffer any serious physical injuries.
Flying Squad detectives took on the investigation. The offence had been committed during the COVID pandemic but, despite the suspects wearing face coverings and masks, painstaking intelligence, CCTV and mobile phone enquiries led officers to identify David and Alan Kelly, Moroney and Sokhi as the suspects.
The CCTV and phone work captured all four at the Kelly’s home in Moray Road at around 17:00hrs that same evening before the group left on their e-bikes.
At 18:50hrs the group was placed in the vicinity of Brompton Road, near Harrods, where they conducted an unsuccessful trawl of the surrounding streets before moving on to the Mayfair area where they launched their attack. Alan Kelly would later be identified as the man in possession of the knife.
Three of the four men were arrested in April 2021. They were charged and remanded in custody.
Alan Kelly, who is the younger brother of David, was also convicted of conspiring to throw a category A prohibited article into a prison, after he was observed throwing an item into HMP Pentonville in March 2021.
The same charge for Moroney was left to lie on file.
DC Reed added: “This was a truly horrible experience for the victim who was just going about his evening when he was attacked. He no doubt feared for his life. I’d like to thank him for supporting us through the investigation and judicial proces
