GUN-WIELDING 'ROLEX RIPPER' BURST INTO GREEK RESTAURANT DURING RAMPAGE

A 'Rolex Ripper' thug snatched watches, jewellery and mopeds from terrified victims as he held them up at gunpoint.

Riece Francis, 23, toured affluent areas of west London on a stolen moped to rob his targets with an imitation pistol.

He burst into a Greek restaurant in Sussex Place, Paddington, and forced a diner to hand over his watch and wallet.

Francis used the same tactic to steal a £13,500 Rolex watch from a man outside a gastro pub near Notting Hill.

CCTV showed three men frantically escaping a fake-handgun wielding Francis outside the Duke of Kendal pub in London's West End.

He admitted 13 charges including six of possessing an imitation firearm, four of robbery, two separate incidents of theft and one of attempted robbery.

Francis, formerly of Slough, Berkshire, appeared at his sentencing via video-link and shifted in his seat nervously throughout the hearing.

Joe Weeks, prosecuting, described his offending as a 'campaign of robberies'.

He said: 'The defendant's modus operandi for these offences was to ride around affluent areas of London using stolen mopeds.

'He would on occasion conduct some reconnaissance on intended victims, before approaching them and producing what appeared to be a firearm.

'He demanded that they handed over the relevant items with the threat, in some cases expressed, in others merely implied, that he would shoot them if they did not.'

Francis is seen entering Ammos Hyde Park, a Greek restaurant on Sussex Place near Hyde Park.

Mr Weeks said: 'This robbery took place inside a restaurant and the restaurant CCTV captures that robbery.

'It shows the defendant approaching the restaurant and appearing to draw and prepare an item that would appear to be a firearm.

'He said 'give me your watch, give me the money, give me everything or I'll shoot you.' He said that he said that a number of times.

Victim Christos Papadolpulos had a watch worth £3,000 stolen as well a wallet with £400 inside.

The innocent diner said in his impact statement that he had lived in London for 20 years, but since the incident was 'constantly in fear I may be targeted again.

'I genuinely believed the male entered the restaurant was in possession of a real gun which he pointed at me,' he said.

Francis started his campaign with a initial 'preparatory offence' which involved the theft of a moped from delivery driver Julio Maderia on February 10 2023.

He then used the stolen moped to terrorise a group of men he had spotted leaving the Duke of Kendal pub.

'Riece Francis pulled right in front of them on the stolen moped and stopped,' Mr Weeks said.

'He had a handgun - what appeared to be a handgun - held with both hands, pointed at them.

'The victim's fled, Riece Francis followed them for a short while but no items were stolen on that occasion.'

CCTV footage played to the court showed Aman Singh, Peter Holland and Sam Wildly running away from Francis.

On February 11 a couple were walking in Sussex Gardens when Francis approached and pointed a gun at them.

'He said, 'give me the watch bruv, don't test me', and, having obtained the watch, he made off.'

Victim Joseph Smith said in an impact statement that the attack was 'very traumatising' and the experience had put him off visiting the capital.

'I picked the area, a restaurant I knew it was a nice area and believed it would be safe.

'I am now put off from visiting London anymore.'

The next robbery took place the following day on the 12 February and involved the robbery of £10,000 worth of jewellery and £1,000 in cash.

International businessman John Sebille was 'sat in his car with the windows open' when Mr Francis approached, said Mr Weeks.

'Mr Francis approached on his moped and robbed Mr Sebille through the window, saying the words, 'Give me everything you have or I am going to shoot you.'

Mr Sebille said in his victim impact statement that the robbery had 'really affected' him.

He added: 'I regularly travel to London for business and I am now always on my guard, looking over my shoulder.

'The robbery happened in a nice area where I thought I was safe, but obviously this isn't the case.

'I'm the European CEO of an American company and was in London on business, and as a result was stuck in London for a while.

'To be approached in my car, have a gun put in my face and possessions taken from me left my feeling helpless, petrified and horrified.'

Francis carried out his final robbery outside a pub in Notting Hill, on 18 February grabbing a £13,500 Rolex from Joe Onyuma.

'Mr Onyuma left Hillgate Pub with his girlfriend walking alongside him.

'(Mr Francis) stopped in front of them from behind a parked vehicle holding his imitation firearm with both hands and saying: 'give me your watch.'

Mr Onyuma said in a victim impact statement that the robbery was 'one of the most frightening experiences of my life.'

He added that he had never thought such an incident would take place while 'walking through such an affluent area of London'.

Just over four months later Francis stole another moped to the value of £1,300 and targeted Khawaj Hassan in Chelsea.

Mr Weeks said: 'The victim Mr Hassan was sitting in his vehicle, Riece Francis put his head through the window and pointed the apparent handgun at him and said, 'give me that watch'.

'However, Mr Hassan confronted Francis and shouted for the police - this is why the robbery was not completed, and Francis fled on the stolen moped.'

In CCTV footage of the attempted robbery shown to the court, Mr Hassan was heard shouting, 'call the police, he's trying to rob me'.

Marie Spenwyn, defending Francis, said he was 'very anxious' and 'very embarrassed' by his actions.

Judge Alexander Milne said: 'The overall pattern of offending started when he stole a moped in early February, on 10 February 2023.

'He then used that moped over a period of time to facilitate commission of robberies on strangers, targeting those in the west end of London, clearly seeking to target jewellery and particularly expensive watches, and taking watches.

'At a later stage in May he stole another moped and again threatened the use of a firearm and committed an attempted robbery.

'The trauma experienced by those who had to experience what through their eyes appeared to be a firearm literally put in their faces is difficult to understate, it is quite clear that people out innocently enjoying themselves were terrified by the prospect of being shot, as he threatened to on occasion either explicitly or implicitly.'

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2024-07-04T01:25:42Z dg43tfdfdgfd