‘21st-century highwaymen’ murdered man for his iphone

TWO teenage robbers on a moped, likened to “21st-century highwaymen”, have been found guilty of murder after stabbing a stranger for his iphone.

Nathan Gilmaney, 19, and Troy Thomas, 18, tried to rob as many people as possible on Oct 16 last year.

They killed Abdul Samad, a 28-yearold charity youth worker, for his iphone and little more than “aggression and blood lust” as they swept across west London on a scooter.

Mr Samad handed over valuables when confronted by the pair in St Mary’s Terrace, Paddington. But Gilmaney got off his moped and stabbed him in the chest anyway, leaving him mortally wounded. The victim staggered back to his home and collapsed on the doorstep in front of his parents.

‘[They] stabbed their victims often for no reason other than simple aggression and blood lust’

Unmoved by the plight of their victim and his “traumatised” family, the teenagers prowled the streets for their next target minutes later.

The pair, from Maida Vale, west London, were convicted of murder following a trial at the Old Bailey.

Oliver Glasgow QC, prosecuting, said they were “highwaymen of the 21st century who thought they had the right to threaten and rob whoever they found, who attacked their targets in a brazen and shocking manner and who stabbed their victims often for no reason other than simple aggression and blood lust”.

He told jurors: “By the end of their four-hour spree of violence, they had committed nine knifepoint robberies, they had gratuitously stabbed four of their defenceless victims and they had killed Abdul Samad.”

Both defendants had denied murder. The jury deliberated for more than 19 hours before returning their guilty verdicts.