Man who robbed women at gunpoint in Kensington jailed after DNA breakthrough

A thug who tied up a woman at gunpoint and stole £2,000 has been jailed after detectives recovered key DNA clues at the crime scene in west London

Ismail Tajzai, 26, arranged appointments with two sex workers in Kensington and then threatened to kill them unless they handed over cash, a court heard.

He was sentenced to 14 years in jail after pleading guilty to robbery, attempted robbery and two counts of having an imitation firearm with intent to commit robbery.

He also confessed to making a threat to kill, strangulation and perverting the course of justice at a hearing in Wood Green Crown Court on Friday.

The court heard Tajzai committed the offences on February 21 and 22 after arranging an appointment with two sex workers. In the first incident he produced a handgun, tied the woman up and then stole £2,000.

The next day he attempted to rob a second woman after hitting her with a handgun. He also tried to strangle her after she fought back and then fled.

Detectives in Westminster launched an investigation and identified Tajzai’s DNA and fingerprints at the scene in Kensington.

An extensive CCTV trawl also helped identify him as chief suspect.

The gun and cable ties were recovered at the time of his arrest in a backpack thrown from the balcony at his home address in Clapham.

Detective Constable Stephanie Clarke, of the Westminster Public Protection team, said: “This case demonstrates the support police will offer to all victims of crime in order to prosecute violent, dangerous men.

"The defendant sought to exploit vulnerable sex workers, and deliberately aimed to commit crimes against a group of people whom he assumed were scared to report crimes to police.

“I had first-hand experience during the investigation of how scared the victims were to report to police, out of fear of repercussions that could be caused to them. I would urge anyone else who has been the victim of similar crime to contact police and an investigation will be launched with specialist support for the victims.”

Detective Inspective Luke Bacon, of the Westminster Public Protection team, said: “I would like to commend my officers for their dedication in identifying this particularly dangerous individual and the swift action they took to ensure his arrest and prosecution. This was a time-sensitive investigation, and I firmly believe that if it were not for the actions they took, more attacks would have occurred.

"I would also like to reserve particular praise for the victims involved in this terrifying case. They showed immense bravery in coming forward to report to the police in the first instance, and in doing so they have ensured that this dangerous individual was caught, prosecuted and convicted."

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