Armed robber who targeted London convenience stores jailed for seven and a half years

Laura Proto21 October 2015
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A man who admitted carrying out a series of armed robberies on convenience stores across London has been jailed for seven and a half years.

Ahmid Dorda, 24, targeted 13 small supermarkets in Southwark, Islington and Kensington and Chelsea between December 2014 and March this year.

He entered the stores at night and appeared to purchase a small item. But as the shopkeeper opened the till, he would put on a balaclava and point a gun at the staff member.

The first attempted robbery was reported at a shop in Caledonian Road, Islington, at 10.30pm on December 15 last year.

Two men entered the premises and one asked for some cigarettes before the other produced a handgun and ordered the shopkeeper to put money into a bag.

The staff member refused and the men left empty handed.

Jailed: Ahmid Dorda was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison
Metropolitan Police Service

A similar offence occurred at a shop in Napier Road, Kensington, on December 26, and a month later, a man took cash following a robbery at another shop in Caledonian Road.

Dorda, of St Marys Abbots Terrace, Kensington, was stopped by police in the early hours of May 11 in Great Portland Street and officers said he appeared nervous when questioned about his movements.

A search on his name revealed he was wanted by UK Border Force and he was arrested.

While carrying out a personal search, officers found Dorda was in possession of a small black metal gun and was further arrested.

While in custody, his fingerprints and DNA were found to match samples found at two of the robberies.

After a search of his home, which uncovered clothing matching that worn by the robber, Dorda was charged with 13 offences of robbery and the associated possession of imitation firearm offences.

He later pleaded guilty to nine counts of armed robbery and three attempted robberies at Snaresbrook Crown Court on September 8.

Detective Sergeant Andy McGuire, from the Met's Flying Squad, said: "We are pleased that we have managed to capture Dorda and bring him to justice.

“Local shops are the lifeblood of our communities and we will use every available resource we have at our disposal to bring to justice those who intimidate and subject shop workers to violence.

“Dorda is a dangerous man and his sentence is a reflection of how seriously these offences are taken."

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