Moped robber was armed with baton

THIEF ATTACKED WOMEN IN ACTON, CHISWICK AND HOUNSLOW

A MOPED thief from Acton who targeted women carrying handbags has been locked up.

Jake Cramp, 24, was jailed for a total of eight years and nine months for the following crimes:

■ Six counts of robbery

■ Three counts of theft

■ Two counts of attempted robbery ■ Two counts of attempted theft

■ One count of fraud

■ One count of possession of an offensive weapon

Cramp, of Acton Lane, committed 15 offences across Acton, Chiswick and Hounslow between April 5 and 12.

In all but one case he targeted women and their handbags and on occasion threatened or used violence with a baton.

Cramp either snatched the bag from behind while on his moped and sped off or committed the crime on foot before making his escape on the moped.

The first victim was a 73-year-old woman whose handbag was snatched in Ashbourne Road, Hanger Hill, on April 5 this year – the bag contained around £3,000 in cash.

On a number of occasions, the victim suffered injuries after their handbag was forcibly tugged causing them to fall to the floor.

One had her bag pulled so hard it caused her to fall face first onto the pavement, fracturing her shoulder and causing facial injuries and another was knocked unconscious.

After one robbery Cramp used one of the victim’s debit cards and withdrew £190 in cash from a nearby ATM.

During each offence he wore a bright yellow crash helmet with a black visor and the offences were later linked.

One of the victims took a picture of her attacker.

The moped used in the robberies was located and situated near to Cramp’s home.

Cramp was arrested on April 19 after officers searched his home; they found property stolen during the robberies and Cramp was charged with a number of offences a short time after.

Chief inspector Jim Corbett said: “Jake Cramp callously went out on each of these days with the sole intention to rob and steal, brazenly targeting women and sometimes resorting to further violence.

“Operation Venice officers quickly linked the offences and then closed in on Cramp, who was identified within a week of the spate of incidents and arrested.

“This jail sentence sees another criminal removed from London’s streets of London.

“The Operation Venice team is tireless in its mission to bring people involved in moped-enabled crime to justice, and making London a safer place.”

Cramp was sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court on Tuesday October 29.

Jake Cramp’s Crimes Count 1

– Handbag snatch theft in Ashbourne Road on April 5. Victim was a 73-year-old woman who was not injured.

– Moped-enabled robbery of handbag in Wellesley Road on April 7. Victim was knocked over and suffered head injuries and bruising.

– Moped-enabled robbery of handbag at entrance to Chiswick Staithe Estate on April 7. Second robbery victim was a 63-year-old woman who suffered a fractured

Count 2 Count 3

shoulder, which requires physio, and head injury from the fall.

– Moped-enabled robbery of handbag in Sheen Avenue on April 10. Victim was a 31-year-old woman who was not injured.

– Moped-enabled robbery of 50-year-old woman in Wellesley Road on April 10. Victim suffered head injury following tug and fall.

– Theft of handbag in Bridge View Road on April 10.

– Fraud relating to expenditure on card belonging to second victim.

Count 4 Count 5 Count 6 Count 7 Count 8

– Theft of backpack by moped rider in Station Road on April 10.

Count 9

– Moped-enabled robbery of handbag in Station Road (just eight minutes after count 8 offence) on April 10. Cramp threatened victim with a cosh but she was not injured.

Counts 10 and 11

– attempted robbery

LONDON Ambulance Service have confirmed their “hazardous area response team” was sent to Heathrow Airport on Thursday night (November 7).

It is understood passengers were checked over by the ambulance service because of an “incident” on the BA876 flight from Budapest.

Police, ambulance and fire services were in attendance as is protocol with emergencies on flights. Reports suggested passengers were being “detained” at Heathrow Gate 26. A spokesman for London Ambulance Service said: “We were called at 6:55pm today (7 November) to reports of an incident at Heathrow Airport, Hounslow. We dispatched an ambulance crew, two incident response officers and our hazardous area response team (HART) to the scene. We assessed five people at the and possession of an offensive weapon. Cramp’s ninth victim was hit with a baton several times in British Grove on April 10. Her bag was not taken.

– Attempted theft of handbag of Cramp’s tenth victim. Cramp mounted pavement in Grant Way, Hounslow, on April 10. Pliers and a baton fell from the moped and DNA matched to Cramp.

– Attempted theft of handbag of victim 11 in Woodstock Road on April 12.

– Robbery of victim 12 immediately follows count 13 offence on April 12. Victim tried to stop Cramp escaping and was hit in the face with a broken wing mirror. Cramp had crashed his moped and then stole the man’s briefcase.

– Attempted moped-enabled handbag snatch robbery – victim 13 was dragged but held on to the bag.

Count 12 Count 13 Count 14 Count 15

scene but did not take anyone to hospital.”

The HART team are a group of paramedics who are trained to go into the “hot zone” of incidents.

Traditionally, paramedics have always had to wait for other services such as a fire and rescue service to bring patients from the heart of an incident to the edge of the inner cordon. However UK ambulance service HART teams now work alongside the other emergency services at the centre of serious accidents of threats to public health.A BA spokesperson said: “Our aircraft requested a priority landing as a precaution after experiencing a minor technical issue.“Our teams looked after our customers and helped get them on their way as soon as possible. We are sorry to our customers for the delay to their travel plans.”