An Anerley man has been jailed for robbing a minicab driver in Thornton Heath over a fare dispute.
Sapha Singh, 32, of Tremaine Road in Anerley was jailed at Harrow Crown Court yesterday after having been found guilty of robbery at the Old Bailey on July 8.
Singh also pleaded guilty to a second robbery at Harrow Crown Court on July 10. He was sentenced for this at the same hearing on yesterday.
On July 13 last year just after midnight Singh called a minicab firm ordering a fare to collect him from an address in Fountain Road, Thornton Heath, and take him to an address in Wandsworth Road.
When the minicab driver arrived to pick the fare up Singh and a woman got in the vehicle demanding to be taken to two addresses and threw a £20 note at the driver.
When he was told that the fare would be more Singh got out, opened the driver’s door and took the ignition key from the car demanding ‘Give me the money’.
The 42-year-old male victim handed over £60. Singh then smashed a whiskey bottle on the car and stabbed the victim twice in the arm with it.
Singh and the woman then ran off and then caught a bus.
He was traced through mobile phone records he used to call the minicab company and CCTV capturing him in the area. He was arrested on July 14 2014.
He also pleaded guilty to his part in a violent robbery committed at 5pm on June 22 2015 in Wadham Gardens, Greenford, Middlesex, in which a 35-year-old man was attacked and robbed by Singh and his brother.
The victim was punched to ground and kicked before the keys of his van were stolen.
Singh was sentenced to three years and six months imprisonment for each offence, to be served consecutively – a total of seven years.
Singh’s brother, Carlton Singh, 28, of Fishponds Road in Tooting was jailed for three years and four months after pleading guilty to robbery.
DC Eric Somerville from Croydon Police’s CID said: “Sapha Singh acted in a violent and aggressive manner to a man just doing his job.
“Police will always seek to identify and put violent offences such as Singh before the courts so that they can face justice.
“I would like to pass on my thanks to the victim who attended court to give evidence, as without the support of victims and witnesses, the police’s job becomes much more difficult.”
