Romford man who attacked victims with screwdriver in Woodford jailed

An 18-year-old who used a screwdriver to threaten victims has been jailed for five and a half years.

Trai Glasgow, of Hillfoot Road, Romford pleaded guilty to 14 counts of robbery and was sentenced today at Snaresbrook Crown Court.

A further 16 counts of robbery were taken into consideration.

Glasgow repeatedly targeted his numerous victims around Snakes Lane East, Broadmead Road and Chigwell Road, all in the Woodford area, between November 2012 and January 2013.

He targeted people carrying or using smart phones, often when they were wearing headphones.

On a number of occasions he was armed with a screwdriver which he used to threaten victims and stabbed one man in the arm when he refused to hand over his phone.

An undercover operation was launched after police noticed similarities in the attacks.

Det Con Joanna Stevens, from Ilford robbery squad, said: “Trai Glasgow is a cowardly man who used a weapon to intimidate people and steal from them.

“There may be other people out there who have fallen victim to Glasgow - if you have, I would urge you to come forward and speak to me or my team.”

Glasgow was caught on January 9 after he tried to rob another victim.

Det Insp Craig Robinson, head of the robbery squad, said: “He is a dangerous man who has shown that he would not hesitate to use violence when intimidation failed.

“I would urge people to take care when using their personal possessions in public areas and be aware of their surroundings.”

Anyone who would like to speak to Ilford robbery squad can contact them via 101.