Crack addict's minicab rides of hell
By Saxon East
A bogus minicab driver has been jailed for 10 years for a string of vicious late-night robberies on lone men sparking a fresh alert over unlicensed taxis.
Wandsworth police are warning against using unlicensed vehicles after Balham crack-cocaine addict Gary Grant was sentenced for the terrifying attacks on men he picked up in Clapham High Street and Brixton.
Grant, posing as a minicab driver in a black Ford Orion, targeted single white men and then drove them to quiet areas of Wandsworth.
Grant threatened them with a screwdriver or knife, before stripping them of their possessions including wallets, cash, mobile phones and even clothes during the robberies, from January 30 to February 22 last year.
Police stopped Grant while he was driving along Wandsworth Road with a potential victim and a car search found a screwdriver in the driver's footwell area.
The screwdriver was taken for forensic testing and crucial evidence revealed one of his victim's DNA on the tip.
Detectives also gathered CCTV evidence of Grant wearing a distinctive scarf while using the victims' credit cards at Sainsbury's Local in Balham and Lloyds TSB in Acre Lane, Brixton.
Grant, 36, from Graham House, Alderbrook Road, pleaded not guilty to four robbery charges but was convicted on all counts at Kingston Crown Court earlier this month. Grant later admitted the robberies but claimed he needed cash for his drug addiction.
Detective Constable Simon Allan said the case highlighted the need for both men and women to be vigilant on nights out.
He said: "It highlights the problem of using unlicensed minicabs in London. They are not safe, probably uninsured and should be avoided at all costs.
"You cannot be sure who is driving the vehicle and could be putting yourself in considerable danger. The media have emphasised this issue mainly towards women but after investigating this case it clearly applies to men as well."
seast@london.newsquest.co.uk
Login
Register
FAQ
