A 16-YEAR-OLD English schoolboy who wore a sophisticated prosthetic disguise to commit violent armed robberies has been sentenced to five years in prison.
Miles Alura used facial prosthetics, makeup and a hair piece to disguise himself as an elderly man and raided a jewellers in Longfield, Kent.
His two accomplices were also sentenced to three years and 12 months respectively. Reporting restrictions were not lifted on the other two teens, aged 15 and 16. All three pleaded guilty to ‘conspiracy to rob’ in relation to a raid on 3 July. Alura also pleaded guilty to possession of an imitation firearm regarding that same robbery and a robbery on 7 June in Mayfair.
On 3 July, Alura and ‘Boy B’ entered the jewellery store and threatened staff with two handguns. Handcuffs and a dog lead were used to tie-up the terrified workers and their dog, before jewellery worth more than €50,000 was taken.
A member of the public called the police and the suspect was arrested by officers in a nearby garden in which the two guns and parts of his disguise were also found. A bag containing the stolen jewellery was found dumped near the shop.
Further enquiries revealed a link between this robbery and the 7 June raid at a different jewellers in Mayfair.
On that day, the boys entered the store on the pretext of discussing custom jewellery but instead jumped over the counter and threatened staff with violence. They pretended to be armed and workers were tied up. The pair made good their escape with €100,000 worth of jewellery. At the time of the robbery Alura was wearing waist-length dreadlocks.
DC Vicky Bailey, Flying Squad, said: “These were violent armed robberies during which innocent members of staff were terrorised and genuinely feared for their lives. It is even more shocking to know that this level of violence was inflicted by three school boys who went to extraordinary lengths to research, plan and getaway with these offences demonstrated by Alura’s sophisticated disguise. These young men now face considerable terms of imprisonment where they will have plenty of time to think about the consequences of their actions.”
DC Angela Costin from Kent Police added: ”The very fact that the offenders are only of school age is harrowing and it is concerning to think that they have committed such heinous crimes with such conviction.
“The sentences imposed will take these boys in to adulthood and will give them time to reflect, however it will more importantly provide a sense of justice and safety to their victims who are still coming to terms with what these boys subjected them to.”
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