Gang of teenage car-jackers from Birmingham sentenced to combined 11 years
A gang of teenage friends who carried out a series of violent car-jackings in Birmingham have been sentenced to a total of 11 years at youth offenders institutes.
The group of six – three 15-year-olds, two 16-year-olds and one aged 17 – struck 14 times in less than a month, threatening motorists with knives and a firearm before making off with their vehicles.
Examination of phones seized from the teen robbers revealed chat groups used to plan and boast about offences, suggestions on where to hide evidence and what to steal.
One message read how they planned to 'suck a whip' – street slang for 'rob a car'.
The six-strong gang struck three times on September 7 last year, stealing a VW Polo at knifepoint from a man in Preston Road, Winson Green, and taking mopeds from two bikers in Hawthorn Road, Kingstanding and Handsworth’s Mary Road.
The following day a man had a chain ripped from his neck by one of the gang in Barr Street, Hockley, and a Vauxhall Astra and Honda Jazz were car-jacked from drivers in West Heath Road, Winson Green, and Handsworth Wood either side of midnight on September 11.
A moped was also stolen from a woman near the junction of Eva Road and Perrott Street, Winson Green, in the early hours of September 11 after the group knocked her off the bike in the stolen Honda.
Two of the 15-year-olds and a 16-year-old went on to rob four friends on September 24 in New Street – taking phones and cash – while £600 was taken from two women at a flat in Ladywood on the night of October 4.
West Midlands Police detectives secured CCTV footage showing some of the offenders using bank cards taken from one of the stolen cars.
Offenders aged 15 and 16 were arrested following foot-chases after the Honda crashed into a wall at HMP Birmingham during a police pursuit on September 11 – and later that night another 15-year-old was arrested in Whitare Road, Bordesley Green, on a stolen moped.
All six pleaded guilty to conspiracy to rob – with the 15-year-old from Great Barr also admitting conspiracy to possess an imitation gun and dangerous driving that led to the prison wall crash – and were sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court today.
The 15-year-old from Great Barr was sentenced to five years, with a 17-year-old from Quinton handed an eight-month term
A 15-year-old from Winson Green was sentenced to two years, a 15-year-old from Winson Green to eight months, a 15-year-old from Bordesley Green to three years and a 16-year-old from Stechford to six months.
DC Sam Price said: “These were very nasty offences and really quite shocking given their ages. Several motorists were physically assaulted and the moped rider ambushed in Kingstanding was hit with a hammer as he tried to run away.
“We secured very strong evidence against all six members of the gang and they were left with little option but to admit the offences and face the consequences.
“Looking at the message exchanges they seemed to revel in the thrill of committing offences and almost deemed it as some kind of sick game.
"None of them had extensive criminal records but now find themselves taken out of society.
“If they thought they might be excused custodial sentences given their ages then I’m afraid they have been proved badly wrong – and hopefully they can go on to make better choices later in life otherwise their futures are bleak.”
West Midlands Police recovered all of the stolen cars.
