Man asks friend to throw chilli in his eyes during fake Ilford robbery

The man from Ilford persuaded his friend to throw chili powder into his face during the staged robbery after he sold his wife’s jewellery for £2,000.

He was given an £80 fine and cautioned for wasting police time.

When his wife asked for him to collect the jewellery from secure storage, he arranged for a friend to approach him outside his house. His wife heard screams and her husband chased the pretend robber.

His accomplice made off with empty bags which the pair pretended had contained the jewellery.

Hospital

A police officer who was on a routine patrol in the area saw the incident and arrested the man’s friend on suspicion of robbery.

The friend was later released and the 42-year-old was taken to hospital with eye irritation due to the chili powder. Supt Zander Gibson, of Redbridge Police, said: “The Metropolitan Police is determined to support genuine victims of crime as much as we can.

“It’s frustrating when people make false reports that take us away from providing support to people who need us.”

Mr Gibson said he hoped that other people would learn from this incident and not be tempted to make false accusations to the police.

He said: “As well as having experienced the pain of chilli powder in his eyes, this man now has a conviction for wasting police time. I hope this calamity puts others off making the same mistake.”