Indian-origin man in UK gets 20 years jail term for robbery

London: An Indian-origin man who was found guilty of a violent robbery in east London has been sentenced to 20 years imprisonment along with two of his accomplices.

Ajaypal Singh, 28, had pleaded guilty to the charge of possession with intent to supply and possession of a pointed/bladed article and was found guilty of robbery at a trial in November last year. He was sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Friday to 20 years, with an extended licence period of five years allowing for a further term dependent on conduct.

“This result is the conclusion of a complex investigation into a serious and violent crime that had a significant impact on the local community,” said Detective Constable (DC) Darren Warner from the Specialist Crime Command of the Metropolitan Police, who conducted the investigation.

“It also left a family, including a young child, terrified. They will never be able to forget what happened to them that night. I am grateful to the members of the public who came forward to assist the investigation – in the Metropolitan Police we know that we are most effective when we police with the support of the public, working together to tackle those causing the most harm,” he said.

On May 1, 2020, police were called to a residential property in Upminster in east London and found an 11-year-old boy who was in a serious condition with a gunshot wound. A man, aged in his 40s, had also sustained stab wounds to his head.

They were both taken to hospital by the London Ambulance Service. Detectives established that the man had opened the front door to a person who was later identified as Sargent. He had claimed to be a delivery driver and had left a parcel on the doorstep.

As he bent down to collect the parcel, he was knocked to the ground by a group of men who forced entry to the property.They demanded the homeowner hand over any money he had at the address and threatened to harm his 11-yearold son if the demands were not met.

During the robbery, a shotgun that was legally held at the address was discharged, resulting in a gunshot wound to the child’s shoulder. The injuries were not life-threatening or lifechanging. —PTI