A group of men who committed a series of knifepoint robberies in south west London have been jailed for more than 24 years.

Michael Malik Ahmed, 29, of Little Dimocks in Balham, was sentenced to six years and nine months after pleading guilty to six counts of robbery – four on December 21, 2021, and two on January 9, 2022.

At the trial, which ended on Monday, February 13, at Isleworth Crown Court, Ahmed was also found guilty of possessing an offensive weapon used in the attacks, as well as dangerous driving.

At the same trial, Kaijuan Henry, 19, of Woodward Road in Dagenham was found guilty of being involved in the December robberies.

Jessy Ouma, 18, of Patmore Estate, Wandsworth was found guilty of being involved in the robberies on January 9.

Henry was sentenced to six years’ in prison, while Ouma was sentenced to four years.

Zakariah Yusuf, 19, Joseph Opoku, 19, and Roshan Clark, 19, all of the Winstanley Estate, had previously pleaded guilty to being involved.

Yusuf was sentenced to two years’ and six months in jail, Opoku to three years and Clark was sentenced to three years and nine months.

The group used a stolen BMW on false plates to carry out their crimes, in each case threatening the victims with a large knife or machete before stealing items including watches and bags.

The robberies took place on:

At 11.15am on December 21, 2021, a couple were walking down South Parade when they were passed at speed by a car.

The vehicle, driven by Ahmed, came to a stop and Clark and Henry jumped out armed with a crow bar and knife.

They surrounded the man, grabbing his wrist and forcing him to hand over his Tag Heuer watch, worth £1,500.

At 12pm on the same day, a man was walking down Cornford Grove when he was chased by Clark and Henry, one of whom was armed with a long zombie-style knife.

He was confronted at a doorway and punched in the face, causing part of his tooth to fall out, before his bag was stolen from him.

At 6.05pm on December 21, 2021 two men were sitting at a pub on Walton Street when a car screeched to a halt in front of them.

Clark and Henry, who were armed with a knife and machete, got out of the car and shouted at them to handover their watches, worth around £35,000 each.

At 3.20pm on January 9, 2022, a couple were walking towards their car on Draycott Avenue when they saw a vehicle, driven by Ahmed, speed past before suddenly stopping.

Ouma, Yusuf and Opoku jumped out, armed with a large machete.

The female victim had her £6,000 Rolex watch and Bulgari ring stolen.

The male victim was hit in the face, causing multiple fractures. His Tag Heuer watch, valued at around £1,150, was also stolen.

Following the final robbery, the couple were able to provide police with the car’s registration number and shortly afterwards, officers saw the BMW at the junction of Balham High Road and Chestnut Grove.

Specialist officers followed the vehicle, which crashed into a wooden fence near the junction of Dornton Road and Culverdon Road.

The occupants of the car fled from the scene and into an estate and despite a foot chase, police were unable to find them.

Ahmed left his house keys, phone and a bank card in the car, while Yusuf left his jacket and phone.

This meant officers could identify them and the other defendants.

A large machete used in the robberies was also found in the vehicle, as was a tracksuit top with distinctive markings which matched the clothing worn by Ahmed when he was caught on CCTV at a petrol station.

When Ouma was arrested, officers seized and examined his phone.

This revealed photos of Henry and Clark celebrating their robberies by wearing a number of the stolen watches.

Forensic evidence and cell site data also linked the defendants to the crimes.

In a statement read to the court during sentencing, one of the victims said: “I was outraged that a senseless act of completely unnecessary and unprovoked physical and emotional violence was perpetrated on my husband, and myself, in the heart of London, in the middle of the afternoon, on a street with several families and their kids.

“While I was not injured, I was both shocked and terrified during the brief period of the ordeal.

“Since then I have been continually worrying about the need to appear in court and ‘confront’ the assailants again.”

None of the stolen property has ever been recovered.

Detective Sergeant Gary Taylor, from the Met’s Flying Squad, said: “The custodial sentences handed down today will ultimately make London a safer place for everyone as these men will now serve time behind bars for their actions.

“These young men terrified both their victims and the witnesses who saw them carrying out these appalling crimes in broad daylight.

"Each defendant had absolutely no regard for the victims and did not consider the lasting impact their robberies would have on them for week and months to come.

"I commend all the victims for their bravery in coming forward and confronting their attackers in court.

“This case also shows the importance of reporting a robbery as soon as it happens. I am urging anyone who may sadly be the victim of a similar incident, or anyone who sees a robbery taking place, to call the police by dialling 999 immediately.

"This makes a significant impact on our ability to catch those responsible and prevent them from causing any further harm.

“Officers from the Flying Squad will continue working tirelessly with colleagues across the whole of the Met and deploy all capabilities available to investigate violent robberies, and bring those responsible to justice.

"We are committed to safeguarding London’s communities and those visiting our fantastic city.”