Robbers wearing balaclavas who ransacked house armed with gun in south London jailed

 
Jailed: Gary Mowatt, 39
Alexandra Rucki18 April 2015
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Four armed robbers who raided a house wearing balaclavas and forced their victim to jump out of a window to escape have been jailed.

Gary Mowatt, 39, Sylvanus Scott, 39, Kevin Rodgers, 41 and Peter Nunes, 38, were all found guilty of robbery after they ransacked the house in Woodley Close, Tooting.

Kingston Crown Court heard the men forced entry into the house as the 46-year-old victim slept upstairs in his bedroom at 11.40am on October 16 last year.

The men demanded money from the victim before they began to scour the property for cash.

Guilty: Peter Nunes, 38

As they searched the victim seized an opportunity to escape and leapt from his bedroom window while calling for help.

Seconds later the robbers also fled the property and jumped into a black BMW driven by Mowatt.

But they were stopped within minutes as unbeknown to the men they sped past an unmarked police car parked in the area.

Officers arrested all four at the scene and they were taken to a south London police station.

A Tokarev pistol was also seized which was found inside the car.

Armed robbery: Kevin Rodgers, 41

The men were found guilty following a two week trial and were sentenced yesterday at Kingston Crown Court.

Mowatt, of Laura Place, Hackney, was sentenced to six years imprisonment and Scott, of Balham Grove, Balham, was jailed for six years and six months.

Rodgers, of White Hart Lane, Tottenham, was sentenced to seven years and six months imprisonment.

Prison sentence: Sylvanus Scott, 39

Nunnes, of Honeybrook Road, Balham, was jailed for five years and six months.

Detective Constable Ed Currie said: "We commend the victim who, despite his horrendous ordeal, has found the courage to come forward and provide crucial evidence at court and stand up to their despicable actions.

“Fortunately, officers were close by to swoop in on the suspects and remove a live firearm from the streets.

“All of the evidence suggests that the motivation for this crime was purely for financial gain. They will now face a different consequence behind bars."

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