Bandit who robbed diamond dealers in cars gets 10 years
A diamond robber has been jailed for 10 years over a £2.5 million plot to snatch gems from dealers.
Jose-Jov Torres was a member of a masked South American gang who tailed businessmen as they travelled in Britain selling diamonds and gold.
One victim had a screwdriver held to his throat at the wheel of his Jaguar before gems worth £55,000 were snatched. Another's car was rammed repeatedly before the thieves made off with £130,000 in jewellery.
Torres, 32, of no fixed address but based in south London, admitted he was the driver in two of a string of raids between October last year and February this year. Blackfriars crown court heard that his DNA was found on a cigarette butt near an abandoned getaway car.
He also left a BlackBerry — stolen from a victim — with photos of himself on it at the scene of his second attack. Judge Ian Karsten QC described the robberies as "sophisticated and well-planned" and "truly terrifying for the victims".
The gang struck first near Barnsley after following a Hong Kong businessman from Manchester, ramming his car and grabbing £130,000 jewellery and £35,000 in cash. Frederico Salamanca, 30, of Penge, was jailed at Sheffield crown court for nine years for his role in that robbery.
Four days later Torres was involved again when a businessman was tailed from Birmingham to Hemel Hempstead and was threatened with a screwdriver by men with bandanas covering their faces.
Days later another dealer shook off the gang by driving to a police station after noticing he was being followed in Edinburgh. A fourth dealer was robbed in a Feltham hotel car park of gold jewellery worth £255,519, his wallet, passport, credit cards and cash. In December the gang jumped a man in Chingford, stealing £250,000 jewels, and a German dealer was robbed of £600,000 in jewellery at Paddington station after his cab was followed.
In January two more men were robbed of £200,000 of gems in Colindale and a further £500,000-worth were snatched from a dealer outside a hotel in Brent Cross.
Detective Chief Inspector Dave Shipperlee, of British Transport Police, said: "Torres played a central role in what were frightening and very well executed robberies.
"His raids were organised, sophisticated and used a high level of violence to ensure that demands were met.
"The discarded cigarette butt and Blackberry were important pieces of evidence that helped us build a compelling file against a dangerous man who has rightly been jailed for a lengthy period of time."
Det Chief Insp Shipperlee added: "Forensic and DNA technology has once again played a vital role in helping to bring to justice a serious criminal who thought nothing of the absolute fear his victims experienced."
