Tuesday, July 14, 2026 - A Nigerian-born immigrant who robbed four men has been jailed for five years in the UK.
Wasiu Smith, 26, stole several phones, a work laptop and an
heirloom ring worth £600 during a series of robberies outside Farringdon Tube
station on November 4, 2025, Mail Online reports.
Smith, who was born in Nigeria and holds a Dutch passport,
has been living in the United Kingdom since 2019. He initially settled in
Shropshire before later relocating to Walsall.
He claimed he had travelled from Canary Wharf to see the
Christmas lights, despite them not yet being switched on, Snaresbrook Crown
Court heard.
One of Smith's victims was Alex Belsham-Harris, head of
Energy Consumer Markets at the charity Citizens Advice, prosecutor Adrian
Yallan told the court.
Mr Belsham-Harris had just left the gym when Smith, with a
scarf pulled over his face, lunged towards him and delivered a series of blows
behind his ear.
He then made off with Mr Belsham-Harris's bag, which
contained his work laptop.
After the attack, Mr Belsham-Harris was dizzy and could
barely stand. He sought refuge in a nearby Tesco, the prosecutor told the
court.
Bonny Wambulu had been standing outside his office on
Farringdon Road when Smith 'ran towards him at speed' and told him not to move.
He repeatedly shouted 'give me money' and acted as though he
was concealing a weapon in his pocket.
Panicked, Mr Wambulu put his hands up and told Smith he
didn't have any money.
Smith's third victim, Alexander Burgess, had just had an
opal ring repaired at a jeweller's and was walking towards Farringdon station.
Smith spotted the ring and made frantic gestures to Mr
Burgess, threatening to punch him while again acting like he was concealing a
weapon.
Mr Burgess handed the ring over, and Smith threatened to
punch him again, telling the victim to 'go away'.
His fourth victim was Michael Evesque, a managing director
of lighting company Bert Frank, who had been walking towards his office on
Farringdon Road.
Smith had been 'standing in the middle of the pavement' with
his arms and legs outstretched to block people walking past, the court was
told.
Police officers later caught up with Smith on a bus with the
stolen property and a wrap of crack coc@ine.
When questioned, Smith claimed the opal ring and stolen
rucksack were his, that he had been attacked by unknown individuals, and the
drugs were planted.
Smith's barrister, Katie Knafler, told the court there may
have been an innocent explanation for why Smith kept one hand in his pocket
during the attacks.
'It might have been cold,' she said.
But Judge Charles Falk dismissed the suggestion, saying
people did not rob their victims with one hand in their pocket.
Judge Falk sentenced Smith to five years in prison for three
counts of robbery, one count of attempted robbery, one count of common assault
and one count of possessing a Class A drug.
He said Smith had 'no insight and no remorse' and had
carried out his offences 'to obtain crack cocaine.'
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