Four robberies took place in the local area
Three men have appeared in court following a series of linked armed robberies in the South Wimbledon and Epsom area.
There had been four robberies in the South Wimbledon and Wimbledon Chase area in which the victims were threatened with a handgun. It was linked to a similar incident in Epsom.
But following a round-the-clock operation, police arrested three men and recovered a gun and one a stolen mobile phone.
The first robbery took place on December 27 at around 20.40hrs in the Chase alley, which runs between Merton Hall Road
and Kingston Road in Wimbledon Chase. The victim, a 14-year-old girl, was robbed of her
mobile phone.
A second robbery took place minutes later on Kingston Road and the
21-year-old victim was robbed of his wallet.
On both occasions the individuals were threatened with a black handgun
before the suspect ran off in the direction of South Wimbledon.
On December 31 a third robbery took place at 14.45hrs on Kingston Road,
where the victim was threatened with a gun. The suspect demanded that victim
hand over any money he had before the suspect fled from the scene.
Ten days later a lone woman walking in the Wimbledon Chase area at around
11pm was approached by two men. One of the men held a gun to her head
and demanded she hand over her bag. Both suspects then walked off in the
direction of the train station.
On Sunday January 13, two men approached a second lone woman walking in
Longmead Road, Epsom at approximately 10.30pm. One of the men held a gun to
the woman's head and attempted to steal her mobile phone.
Unsuccessful in their attempt they ran off.
In the late hours of January 17 and the early
hours of January 18, police arrested three men, all in their early 20's, in connection with the robberies.
They were subsequently charged and appeared in court on Saturday (January 23). They were remanded to stand trial at crown court.
January 23, 2013