Crawley Date Scam Shocker: Man Jailed for 11 Years After Bottling and Robbing Older Men
Dating App Trickster Preys on Older Men
Erasmus Darkwah, 29, from Northgate Road, Crawley, exploited dating apps to lure older men into a dark alley before attacking them with a smashed glass bottle and robbing their phones. The twisted crime spree took place between April and June this year.
Darkwah pleaded guilty at Lewes Crown Court to three counts of robbery and one of attempted robbery. He now faces 11 years behind bars.
Victims Threatened in Alleyway Ambushes
His first victim was a man in his 30s, ambushed on April 14 as he walked through an alley off Northgate Road. Darkwah snatched his phone without mercy.
In the following months, Darkwah stepped up his game, targeting two men in their 40s and 50s. He used dating apps to set up meetings, then threatened them with the jagged bottle before stealing their phones in the same alley.
On June 2, a man in his 20s was also attacked but managed a lucky escape, refusing to hand over his possessions. Police caught Darkwah the very next day.
Police Warn Public to Stay Safe on Dating Apps
“To put your trust into someone, only for them to rob and threaten you, is shocking,” said Detective Inspector Martin Drabble, who led the inquiry. “This sentence should deter anyone thinking of committing similar crimes.”
Sussex Police are urging the public to be ultra cautious when meeting strangers from dating apps. Meeting in public, well-lit places and reporting suspicious behaviour could save lives. The case shines a harsh light on how easily trust can be exploited—and how vigilant we all must be.
