Snaresbrook Crown Court Sentencing Results

Salman Yousaf targeted a woman who had fallen asleep on the Tube, led her away from West Ham station, and sexually assaulted her in a road nearby.

Ross Dawson, 32, of no fixed address, committed a series of violent crimes in July 2017 while already wanted on a prison recall. He threatened a taxi driver with a knife after asking for a lift in Romford, demanded cash, punched the driver and held a blade to his throat; the getaway car failed to start and he fled on foot with a young female accomplice. Days later he forced a 61-year-old minicab driver at knifepoint to hand over cash and his driver's ID chain, an incident captured on dash-cam. He then tricked an 84-year-old woman outside her home in Romford by pretending his pregnant wife needed a lift to hospital, made her stop on a remote road, shoved her out of the car and stole it. In the final incident, he took part in a home invasion in Ilford after a homeowner let in the same teenage accomplice; Dawson and another man forced their way in, held a knife to the woman's throat and choked her until she blacked out. He was arrested on 3 August 2017.

Zohirul Haque robbed a newsagents in Bethnal Green by pointing a firearm at staff and stealing around £200 in cash. He fled before officers arrived despite the victim activating a panic alarm. Flying Squad detectives launched an investigation and an officer identified Haque the next day wearing a distinctive suit matching the description. He was arrested but later bailed. A witness came forward and CCTV evidence identified him. He was rearrested on 5 December and charged with armed robbery.

Edgaras Sneideris, 40, of Thomas Cribb Mews, Newham, left a threatening voicemail for his ex-partner on 5 April 2020, saying he would “beat her up” and “cut her head off”. Three days later he broke into her home and attacked her, punching and kicking her while threatening to kill her. He returned at midnight on 9 April and assaulted her again. A housemate later told police that on 5 April Sneideris had moved a pink scarf-wrapped single-barrel sawn-off shotgun from the victim’s home into his car. When police searched the car they found two sawn-off shotguns wrapped in cloth. A search of his home uncovered around 40 cannabis plants and growing equipment. Sneideris denied the assaults but admitted holding the guns and growing cannabis, claiming the guns were someone else’s. The victim and housemate were rehoused with panic alarms.

On 27 November 2022, over a 30-minute period, Dylan Makepeace assaulted three women in east London. He followed two women into their residential block on Cleveland Way, E1, attacked them, pushing them to the floor and pinning them down, causing cuts and scratches. About half an hour later, he followed a third woman into her apartment block on Cambridge Heath Road, grabbed her, covered her mouth, put fingers down her throat, hit her head on the ground, sexually assaulted her by touching over clothing, and called her offensive names. He was detained by members of the public and arrested by police.

Darren O’Shea, 45, of no fixed address, committed two armed hold-ups in East London. On 13 July, he entered a Co-op on Westhorne Avenue, E9, waving an imitation gas-powered handgun and stealing around £300. Five days later, on 18 July, he attempted to rob a sweetshop in Charlton, E7, but the shop assistant pressed a panic button and O’Shea fled empty-handed. Police linked both crimes via CCTV and a family member’s identification. The Met’s Flying Squad arrested him hiding in a nearby flat, recovering the clothes worn during the robberies and the imitation firearm. He confessed to funding his drug addiction through the crimes.

David Blyth, 30, from Romford Road, E7, carried out 11 knife-point robberies targeting lone women aged 26 to 48 in Newham, primarily in Stratford and Forest Gate, between July and August 2018. Incidents included strangling a 35-year-old woman and forcing her into her car on Eastern Road (19 July) and Church Road (22 July); threatening a 26-year-old and stealing her car on Manbey Street (23 July); robbing a 33-year-old with her 15-month-old baby on Warwick Road (26 July); attacking a 48-year-old on Strone Road and stealing her car (28 July); forcing a 27-year-old out of her car on Carnarvon Road (2 August); robbing on Atherton Road and stealing car (6 August); tackling and robbing a 31-year-old on Warwick Road (10 August); snatching bag on Bridge Road (16 August); threatening and stealing car from 41-year-old on Atherton Road (29 August); pushing woman into car on The Common (31 August). Victims suffered severe trauma. Identified via CCTV, witnesses, and prior convictions; arrested 4 September 2018.

David Thomas George Hampshire committed a series of four burglaries by exploiting his position as a window cleaner. On 21 September 2018, after cleaning windows at a property on Rosedale Road, he returned the following day to collect payment, asked to use the toilet, and stole jewellery from the 69-year-old victim, who later noticed the items missing and reported him to the cleaning company, leading to his dismissal. He went on to burgle homes on Walfrey Gardens and Farmway in Dagenham, where victims known to him discovered their jewellery had disappeared shortly after he left. Police arrested and charged him the same evening. In November, a 70-year-old woman reported jewellery missing from October, suspecting her former window cleaner, which resulted in a further arrest and charges. Hampshire pleaded guilty to all four burglaries at Snaresbrook Crown Court on 13 May, and was sentenced on 10 June.

Fauz Richards, 28, attended a drug-fuelled MDMA party in Beckenham shortly after his release on licence from a manslaughter sentence. In the early hours of February 23, he accused a woman of stealing his phone and verbally abused her. After she insulted him back, he punched her in the face, causing a horrific eye injury.

Festus Obue targeted a care home resident with learning difficulties. In October 2019, he threatened to assault the victim unless he handed over his bank cards. The following month, he threatened the victim at knifepoint for money. In January 2020, he again threatened to attack and stab the victim if he did not hand over money. The victim, supported by care workers and police, bravely provided a statement and identified Obue. Clothing seized during his arrest matched the victim's description, leading to charges of robbery and blackmail.