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news
Justice (Lonpicman, Wikimedia Commons)Violent robbers who targeted cyclists on Bristol to Bath Railway Path jailed
Three men who targeted cyclists on the Bristol to Bath Railway Path have been jailed for 30 months after pleading guilty to a spate of robberies. The men would grab or punch walkers and cyclists as they passed by before stealing their wallets and phones.
The Bristol Post reports that Guleed Mahad Ali, Ahmed Saed and Guled Osman Ali, all aged 20, were sentenced to 30 months in jail at Bristol Crown Court. The court heard the gang would form a triangle shape on the path and then attack people as they tried to pass by.
Bristol Crown Prosecutor Gregory Gordon said that in around four hours on one night in February, the gang robbed or attempted to rob four cyclists. Some were grabbed, while others were punched in the face. Two who got away managed to find a PCSO nearby and this resulted in the men’s arrests.
Gordon said that on another occasion, Osman repeatedly kicked a runner in the face in order to get her phone. She later identified Osman in a line up.
Another victim, cyclist Andrew Hazlewood, described being ‘circled’ by three men who threw him to the ground before taking his wallet and phone. The phone was subsequently found in the possession of Mahad.
Judge Alastair McGrigor said the men had operated as ‘a pack’.
"Each one of the defendants seems to indicate he was the sheep being led. It appears you were all endeavouring to lay the majority of the blame on others. I cannot separate your behaviour and you were all in together. It would be wrong to draw out a ring leader – you all acted as a pack.”
All three men pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery and three charges of assault with intent to rob, while Mahad also pleaded guilty to a third count of robbery.
Earlier this year, three men were arrested following a series of attacks on cyclists in the Walthamstow Marshes area. However, the incidents have continued. In June, the Waltham Forest Guardian reported how Paul Mullan had been confronted by a gang of youths as he cycled home on a canal towpath by the River Lea. He was kicked to the floor, suffering a broken leg, had his newly-repaired bike stolen and was forced to phone a taxi to take him to hospital. It is also believed that someone may have filmed the attack.
Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.
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11 comments
Can I just say that judges have to abide by strict guidelines on sentencing and knee-jerk reactions like "tougher sentences for everything" aren't necessarily the best ones ?
The Bristol Post comments page (hey, I read it so you don't have to, so thank me) is full of people saying how they should send them home, etc, etc.
These blokes came to the UK from a war zone when they were children, and the good (?) folks of Bristol now want to send them back there when their gaol time is up.
Funny thing is, that the same commenters are the ones usually talking about how bl**dy cyclists do this, that, or the other - the only conclusion is that they hate "foreigners" more than they hate "cyclists".
The headline should just say:
"Violent robbers who targeted people on Bristol to Bath Railway Path jailed"
It's not like they let pedestrians off without a kicking.
They were muggers pure and simple.
The justice system is a fucking joke. They should all be serving at least 5 years MINIMUM in prison for these vicious crimes. Probably all illegals anyway. Deport them after their prison sentences.
Bring back hanging.
don't know why but it reminds me of this story
http://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/disturbing-stories-from-chi...
What these people did was appalling, they deserve punishment, and they need to be kept away from the public.
It's pointless lashing out at the legal profession in an indiscriminate way. Do you know that there are prosecution lawyers, who have helped get these nasty individuals convicted and jailed?
Bashing, robbing, kicking women in the face (repeatedly... as if more than once really matters) at the age of 20... I honestly think their chance of reform is about zero or maybe even exactly zero. But then I guess lawyers also need to practice getting these pieces of shit through some theoretical legal loophole, whose logic only the highly educated (sarcasm bells please) legal profession (bells again please) seem to (overly) fondly comprehend. Oh, sorry... I was getting a bit upset thinking about the victims and forgot that these poor men also have lives worth living... (bells please).
Gaoled for 30 months. While I'm glad that these villans are behind bars, it is worrying that these thefts resulted in harsher gaol time then if they had ran the victims over in cars and killed them.
It would seem that in the English & Welsh justice system property is more valuable than life
Are you writing to us from the 18th Century?
out in a year. not real justice.