CCTV Helps Bring Evesham Street Robbers To Justice

Three Evesham street robbers are each serving 30 months in prison having been brought to justice - at Hereford Crown Court - with help from CCTV.

A fourth man, who appeared in court with two of the robbers, is serving a total of 20 months imprisonment for an assault related to one of the robberies, criminal damage and other earlier offences for which he had been given a suspended sentence at a previous hearing.

"CCTV has again proven to be a very important element in our crime detection armoury," said Acting Detective Inspector Mike Unwin, who was involved in investigating the two unconnected robberies - in Port Street on 28 February and Waterside on 21 April.

"We firmly believe that, without CCTV evidence, one of these offenders would not have been convicted and one would not have faced such serious charges.

"The first incident occurred at approximately 0050 hours on 28 February when a lone man was assaulted by three men in Port Street after being followed for a considerable distance by the trio from Bridge Street.

"While CCTV did not capture the robbery itself, it clearly showed the three men together immediately beforehand and one of them indicating to his two colleagues to speed up and follow him round the corner where the unsuspecting victim was walking. CCTV also linked one of the men to criminal damage to a vehicle in the same area a little while later.

"The victim, who was unemployed, was attacked and robbed of his last £120. All three men were clearly under the influence of alcohol and appeared more intent on violence than robbery as they continued to punch the man as he tried to escape after being knocked to the ground, kicked and his wallet taken.

"While two men were convicted of robbery, CCTV shows this to have been more about drink-fuelled violence, sheer nastiness, for its own sake."

In the second incident, at 0025 hours in Waterside, some two months later, CCTV clearly shows a male victim, who had earlier declined a lift home because he wanted to walk as it was such a pleasant night, being followed by a man on a bicycle.

Shortly afterwards, the CCTV cameras recorded the cyclist threatening the victim with what is believed to be a weapon. It also highlighted a prominent scar on the criminal's face which helped identify him and lead to his conviction.

"Local knowledge of individuals combined with the CCTV footage enabled us to achieve a conviction. Without CCTV it is almost certain that this would not have happened," added Det Insp Unwin.

"These two CCTV successes, within a comparatively short space of time, demonstrate what a key tool the cameras continue to be in tackling crimes ranging from theft and robbery to anti-social behaviour and criminal damage."