‘Zombie knife’ gang stabbed man twice in bum and kicked woman in head during violent £400 watch robberies
Watch theft gang jailed after ‘zombie knife’ robberies six minutes apart in City of London
Have you been a victim of watch theft? Email: Crime@lbc.co.uk
Two members of a watch theft gang who carried out a pair of brutal robberies just six minutes apart, stabbing one victim and kicking a woman in the head, have been jailed.
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Agandy Anderson, 30, and Kayne Stewart, 27, were part of a four-man gang which prowled the City of London in a BMW before targeting people walking home after nights out.
The attacks took place in the early hours of September 8, 2024, with members of the gang armed with what victims described as “zombie knives”.
Anderson, of no fixed address, was jailed for nine years and six months, while Stewart, of Milton Way, Dunstable, was sentenced to four years and six months.
Both had pleaded guilty to two robberies carried out minutes apart in the Square Mile and were identified by detectives as drivers of vehicles used during the attacks.
The first robbery happened shortly before 3am on Appold Street, where two men and a woman were walking together after a night out.
A BMW pulled up at traffic lights before two men got out and began threatening the group with knives, demanding their watches.
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One of the victims had a Citizen watch, worth around £400, ripped from him before he was stabbed twice in the buttocks. He also suffered a head injury during the struggle which caused heavy bleeding.
Neither injury was life-changing or life-threatening.
The woman who was with him was kicked in the head, while the gang turned on the third member of the group and demanded his watch.
One robber put him in a headlock and forced his head towards the ground before the victim released the clasp on his Bulova watch, worth around £200, which was then snatched from his wrist.
Both attackers were believed to have been carrying knives, with one victim describing the weapons as “zombie knives”.
The attack was captured by the City of London’s extensive CCTV network, which later allowed detectives to reconstruct the movements of the gang.
The robbers then got back into the BMW and fled.
Just five minutes later, the gang struck again around half a mile away at the junction of Curtain Road, Scrutton Street and Holywell Row.
Two men and a woman were returning to their car when a BMW approached and two men again jumped out.
The victims told police the men were carrying a zombie knife and shouting: “Give me your watch.”
One man had his £400 Tissot T-Classic watch forcibly taken and was struck in the face during the attack. He suffered minor injuries.
Detectives subsequently identified Anderson and Stewart as being involved in the two robberies.
City of London Police also believe 26-year-old Dogukan Aktas was part of the gang that night. He was last believed to be in Switzerland and officers have contacted Interpol as they continue efforts to bring him in for questioning.
Detective Inspector Amy Westall, from City of London Police, said the attacks demonstrated a “complete disregard” for the victims’ safety.
“These were exceptionally violent and frightening attacks in which the offenders showed a complete disregard for the safety of their victims,” she said.
“Armed with knives, they targeted people going about their lives, stabbing one victim and brutally kicking a woman in the head in their determination to steal what they believed was high-value watches.
“Thanks to the courage and swift actions of the victims in reporting these crimes, and the vital evidence they provided, our investigation team was able to piece together exactly what happened.
“Combined with the City of London’s extensive CCTV network, which captured both attacks just minutes apart, we were able to identify the offenders, track them down and ensure they faced justice.”
Police said their investigation into other members of the gang remains active.
One of the victims said the robbery had fundamentally changed the way he behaves in public and left him fearful of strangers.
“My overall feeling is of general fear, for my own safety in life, as well as being fearful of the safety of my loved ones,” he said in a victim impact statement.
“This incident has lifted away a blanket of blissful ignorance and now I really see what the world can be like and what others are capable of.
“I don’t trust any random person when I’m out in the street. When someone walks past too closely, if someone is looking at me in a certain way, or has locked eyes with me for more than a second, I am nervous about what they might do.”
The sentences come as police forces across London continue to target organised watch thieves, with gangs known to use spotters, mopeds and cars to identify victims before carrying out fast and often violent robberies.
City of London Police said it would continue using CCTV, intelligence-led patrols and targeted operations to make the Square Mile a “hostile environment” for violent offenders.