THIS is the dramatic moment a gang responsible for 35 phone snatchings were arrested in a KFC.
Kie Joyce, 21, and two 16-year-old boys have now been sentenced for a spate of mobile phone thefts committed on electric bikes.
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Cops led an investigation into the crimes after the trio were caught on camera zooming past unsuspecting victims and grabbing their phones out of their hands.
The three thieves stole over £20,000 worth of mobile phones across Bermondsey and Greenwich in south east London.
The investigation led to the recovery of 32 mobile phones, 30 of which were successfully returned to their rightful owners.
CCTV shows them riding e-bikes on pavements and approaching people at high speeds.
Joyce, 21, of the Neckinger Estate in Bermondsey, was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison for conspiracy to steal and dangerous driving at Inner London Crown Court.
One boy – who cannot be named for legal reasons – received six months in custody, as reported by Need to Know.
The second youth got a nine-month supervision requirement, a curfew and is required to pay compensation of £425.
Met Police Pc Alex Earley, who led the investigation, said: “I am pleased our investigation has brought three offenders to justice for their part to play in a spate of phone thefts in our local area.
“This demonstrates our commitment to addressing concerns from those living and working here.
“Our top priority is to drive down crime that impacts our communities the most, creating neighbourhoods where everyone feels safe.”
Commander Owain Richards, the lead for mobile phone thefts in the capital, added: “We understand the impact of mobile phone theft can have on victims, it’s an invasive and sometimes violent crime- and we’re committed to protecting Londoners and tackling this issue as we make the capital safer.
“We continue to use data and technology to build intelligence and track stolen items to target offenders. We are also working phone firms to ‘design out’ the ability for phones to be reused and sold on as we seek to dismantle the criminal market that fuels robbery and theft.
“We encourage people to report as soon as they can whenever they have been a victim of mobile phone theft, so officers can investigate swiftly.”
Punishment for stealing phones
Stealing a phone is considered theft.
Theft is defined by section 1 of the Theft Act 1968 as the dishonest appropriation of property belonging to another with the intention to permanently deprive the other of it.
Theft does not include use of force.
The maximum sentence for theft is seven years’ custody.
It comes after the Home Office revealed more than 200 smartphones are nicked everyday.
In September, The Sun explained how the Government and the Home Office intend to work with tech firms to tackle crime.
Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson said: “The Government is determined to do whatever’s necessary to protect people entitled to walk the streets without the threat of robbery.
“Phone companies must ensure any stolen phones can be quickly, easily and permanently disabled, rather than re-registered for sale.”
“If we work together, Government, tech companies and law enforcement can break the business model of the phone thieves and moped gangs who rely on this trade.”
With this in mind, Google announced three new theft protection features that will stop thugs accessing your private information fast.
Read more on the Scottish Sun
The features include: The Theft Detection Lock, the Offline Device Lock and the Remote Lock.
All three features will be available to Android 10+ owners through a Google Play services update later this year.
