Smash and grab raiders who seriously injured officer jailed for 50 years
An officer has spoken of the huge impact from life-changing injuries after being deliberately targeted by a fleeing member from a gang of armed robbers.
An officer has spoken of the huge impact from life-changing injuries after being deliberately targeted by a fleeing member of a gang of armed robbers.
Detective Constable Richard Watson heroically clung on to a moped to prevent serial criminal Charlie Kavanagh from escaping a foiled smash-and-grab raid on a London jewellers, Blackfriars Crown Court heard.
Kavanagh was one of four men brandishing machetes, a knife and an axe when confronted by by Flying Squad detectives who had been tipped off about the August robberyat the Chronext store in Piccadilly.
The robber rode one of the gangs stolen mopeds at full throttle at three Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) officers who had formed a cordon to thwart the thieves getaway.
Two were knocked aside and suffered bruising and leg wounds but DC Watson was hit square on and WAS dragged along the road before the bike landed on top of him.
He suffered a fractured skull with bleeds on his brain, cracked ribs, damage to his lung and a broken ankle. He had to undergo extensive surgery and has still not recovered from his injuries or returned to work.
It is too early to say what the long-term prognosis is, or whether there will be any psychological consequences, as a statement from DC Watson read out in court said: I am alarmed at the extent of my injuries as all I did was go to work one day and I ended up on the operating table a couple of days later.
These injuries, specifically the brain injury, could affect my future career in the police.
I am also unable to drive for up to a year and this has a huge impact on my lifestyle and mobility.
In jailing the four for a total of more than 50 years, Judge Sally Cahill QC said as a result of a string of armed robberies in their past the quartet posed ongoing dangers to the public.
Sentencing Kavanagh for life with a minimum term of six years and nine months for conspiracy to rob and causing serious injury by dangerous driving, she said: “You drove the scooter quite deliberately at police officers in a determined attempt to escape.
“It was abundantly clear when you did that there was not sufficient room for the moped and you to get through.
You knew as you did it you would hurt police officers who were there.”
The others sentenced were: Stephen Hopkins, 29, was jailed for ten-and-a-half years, with an extension of four years, for conspiracy to rob and one year concurrent for unlawful wounding; James Symes, 30, received ten-and-a-half years, with an extension of four years, for conspiracy to rob; and Johnny Kyriacou, 25, was sentenced to ten-and-a-half years for conspiracy to rob.
The court heard 60 watches worth £90,000 were damaged in the August 3 raid, along with substantial costs of replacing the front window and damaged door.
Hopkins, wielding the axe, smashed the front window and shouted “nobody f***ing move” as they entered the store.
He then brought the axe down on a display cabinet before Flying Squad officers, hiding in the back of the store, could pounce.
Judge Cahill said Kyriacou and Kavanagh had both armed themselves with machetes and Symes had a large kitchen knife, but “none of those weapons were necessary to commit the robbery.
“You used them to enter the premises and would potentially use them again if anyone prevented you from achieving your objective,” she said.
Pedestrians were sent flying as the gang arrived at the store, at around 11am on two stolen mopeds, and they fled when they realised a robbery was about to take place.
The judge commended the efforts of the Flying Squad team after she passed sentence.
After the hearing, MPS Detective Chief Inspector Sarah Staff said: They acted with total disregard for the general public who must have been terrified to see such an audacious crime being carried out in broad daylight but also for those officers who bravely tried to apprehend them.
Our officers know the dangers they might face in their day-to-day job targeting armed robbers but should be commended for their drive and determina