A gang of robbers, which included three teenagers, have been jailed for more than 30 years following a string of robberies against cash-in-transit vans in London. The gang was caught out after SmartWater staining found on their clothing and stolen bank notes linked them to multiple robberies.
Connor Ryan and Jerome Bishop-Taylor, both 19, and a 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were part of a gang that struck five times between December 1010 and January 2011. The three teenagers, along with accomplices David Carey, 25, and 21-year-old Aaron Pope were snared following a robbery outside a branch of Barclays Bank in Baker Street during which they stole a cash box containing £25,000.
After fleeing the scene in a stolen BMW, officers from the Met Police’s Finchley Flying Squad tracked down the vehicle and stopped it. Inside they found Carey, Bishop-Taylor and the 17-year-old with dye staining from the stolen cash box on their clothing and hands. Dye stained cash was also found in their pockets. 'Old' dye staining, believed to be from previous robberies was also detected on the suspect's clothes.
Samples of seized clothing and banknotes were subsequently sent to SmartWater’s forensic labs which positively identified dye samples from three different stolen cashboxes, thereby linking the gang to three separate robberies.
Ryan and Pope were picked up shortly after the Baker Street Robbery. Ryan was arrested as he tried to use stained banknotes to place a bet in a bookmakers. The notes were also marked with SmartWater which forensically linked him to the robbery that had taken place days before.
Ryan and the 17-year-old were both convicted of attempted robbery and two counts of robbery. Ryan was sentenced to five years and nine months in a young offender institution, whilst the 17-year-old was sentenced to four years and eight months.
Aaron Pope was sentenced to eight years imprisonment for robbery, whilst David Carey was sentenced to six years and eight months imprisonment for attempted robbery and two counts of robbery. Jerome Bishop-Taylor was given a six year, eight month sentence in a young offender institution for attempted robbery and two counts of robbery.
Detective Superintendent John O’Leary from the Flying squad said: “These are all young men and I hope their convictions will act as a deterrent to others.”