Boy, 14, charged over seven moped robberies within one hour

A 14-year-old boy has been charged in connection with seven moped robberies in London.

The teenager, from Tottenham, is accused of having been a pillion passenger on a moped during a number of alleged robberies in north London within an hour on Thursday.

The rider of the moped escaped but the teenager was taken into custody.

Some 13 mobile phones were found in his possession, nine of which have already been returned to owners, Scotland Yard said.

The boy appeared at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court on Saturday charged with seven counts of robbery relating to six mobile phones and an iPod.

Dressed in a grey tracksuit, he indicated that he denied all charges against him.

He sat in the well of the court flanked by two officers rather than in the dock, because of his age.

Listing the case for a management hearing on 14 June at the same court, District Judge Robin McPhee remanded the defendant into the care of the local authority.

The court heard that he was likely to be placed back with his family until trial but under strict supervision by the local youth offending team.

He was ordered to abide by a curfew between 7am and 7pm, attend meetings with the youth offending team four times a week and barred from riding on any two-wheeled vehicle such as a pushbike, moped or motorcycle.

Judge McPhee made the defendant repeat his bail conditions back to him before releasing him from the courtroom.

Neither of the defendant’s parents was present in court, and Judge McPhee ordered that they attend on the next occasion.

The case comes as Prime Minister Theresa May told reporters that she intended to give police greater protection against prosecution when chasing suspects if those suspects are hurt as a result of the pursuit.

Mrs May told reporters that she was confident that police “had the powers they needed to be able to chase moped-riding criminals”.

Mrs May said: “This issue of moped crime is one that is of concern for people.”

She said former home secretary Amber Rudd had spoken with police to ensure they had the powers needed to chase moped-riding criminals.

“They are able to pursue them and able to take the action we agree that they want to take,” Mrs May said.

On Monday, two men riding a moped robbed comedian Michael McIntyre whilst he was waiting in his car outside his son’s school in north London.

Just a day later, a gang targeted a luxury watch store, Watches of Switzerland, in central London. Several thieves, armed with hammers and knives, rode scooters into the shop’s entrance before making away with a haul of expensive items. One man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of burglary.

The Metropolitan Police says that the introduction of a specialist moped crime unit earlier this year, Operation Venice, has helped reduce incidents of moped-enabled crime in the capital.

The unit is mounted on slimmer-framed, more manoeuvrable motorbikes that are easier to navigate along narrow streets.

Officers also carry a DNA spray that can be used to tag, and then trace, escaping suspects.

But some legitimate motorbike users feel that the roads, especially in London, are not safe.

There were more than 22,000 moped-enabled crimes in London last year – more than double the number of the previous year.

Shane McDonald, a motorbike enthusiast, founded the Biker Biker group to raise awareness about criminals who steal motorbikes and mopeds, and then go onto to use them to commit crime.

His group of volunteer riders performs regular bike patrols in high-risk areas of London.

“What we’re doing is going on patrol in areas which are prolific with motorcycle theft,” Mr McDonald told Sky News.

“If we see anyone stealing a bike, or using a bike to commit a crime, what we’ll do is we’ll follow them.

“We then try and make as much noise as possible and let them know that they are being followed.”

The Metropolitan Police told Sky News it doesn’t support “activities by individuals or groups who target suspected criminals”.

But Mr McDonald says his group is a deterrent in areas where he felt there was a lack of visible police presence.

“The young kids [that steal mopeds] are so brazen, and the police, well, they just seem over-stretched.”

(c) Sky News 2018: Boy, 14, charged over seven moped robberies within one hour