Violent Thug Guilty of Multiple West London Robberies
Conviction ends H&F Crime Squad's Operation Bandit
A violent robber is awaiting sentencing after being found guilty of multiple robberies across West London while armed with an offensive weapon.
Ronald Alexander was found guilty at Isleworth Crown Court of five counts of robbery, one count of attempted robbery and five counts of possession of an offensive weapon. This was in addition to an earlier guilty plea in relation to one count of robbery and one count of possession of an offensive weapon
The verdict, on July 24, brought to an end Operation Bandit, a proactive Hammersmith & Fulham Crime Squad operation set up in response to a spate of near 30 knife point commercial robbery offences that had taken place across West London in the last 3 years.
The defendant's modus operandi would be to enter either gaming arcades or exclusive women’s clothes shops dressed in a distinctive green parker jacket with the hood pulled tightly around his face.
He would threaten the members of staff with either a kitchen knife or large lock knife and demand money from the safe or till. He would then make off on foot to a pedal cycle laid up nearby, change clothes and casually cycle back to his home address using back streets to avoid attending police units.
In late December 2011 Alexander was identified as a highly viable suspect for the Operation Bandit Offences and on February 1 this year, was arrested by Crime Squad officers having just committed a further offence at the Radina Hair and Beauty Salon in Blythe Road, W14.
In the course of the arrest officers recovered the parker jacket, knife and pedal cycle that Alexander has used to commit the majority of his historical offences.
DS Tony Reseigh of the Hammersmith Crime Squad said: "Alexander is a dangerous offender who purposely targeted venues that were staffed almost exclusively by women.
" His victims were put through what can only be described as a terrifying experience and it is hoped the successful conclusion of this case will bring them some degree of satisfaction.
" The successful prosecution of Alexander was only brought about due to the outstanding Detective work carried out by the case officer DC Chris Hockehull and time and effort put in to the case by Prosecution Counsel Howard Tobias."
The defendant, who has a long history of Violent offending including previous convictions for robbery will be sentenced on August 23, again at Isleworth Crown Court.
August 6, 2012
