Thug jailed after spraying mother in face with 'noxious substance' as he robbed family at knifepoint

Attack: Marco Madeo
Metropolitan Police
Rachel Blundy6 October 2015
WEST END FINAL

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A teenage thug has been jailed after he sprayed a mother in her face with a "noxious substance" as he robbed her at knifepoint while she visited a fast-food drive-through with her two teenage children.

Marco Madeo, 19, attacked the 52-year-old woman with three other men after she parked at the McDonald's restaurant in Church Road, Northolt.

She was temporarily blinded before one of the men held a knife to her throat and threatened to kill her and her children if she did not hand over her handbag, Isleworth Crown Court heard.

The thugs then grabbed the bag and the family's takeaway from the back seat of the car and ran towards a car in Church Road.

They were later seen running away from the scene after the car failed to start, police said.

Madeo, of no fixed address, admitted two charges of robbery, attempted robbery and dangerous driving after the attack in the early hours of May 2.

He was jailed for five years at court on October 2 and banned from driving for three years.

Police tracked him down after a balaclava inside a Mercedes left at the crime scene had traces of his DNA.

Detective Constable Keran Talior, who led the investigation, said: "This was a terrifying ordeal for the victims and they continue to deal with the trauma of the robberies today, but I hope they find some reassurance in knowing that this man is now in prison serving a lengthy term in jail.

"I hope this investigation demonstrates that the police will do everything we can to catch those who commit violent crimes and put them before the courts."

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