Six males sentenced for linked series of city centre robberies

^L to R: Sallal Hussain, Ghaith Bukhary and Sanad Omar

Merseyside Police has today welcomed the sentencing of six males to a total of 17 years imprisonment for a linked series of robberies in Liverpool city centre in 2019.

On 13 separate occasions during September and October 2019, the group targeted a number of teenage victims in the Whitechapel area, between Chavasse Park and St John’s Gardens, threatening them with knives before stealing their belongings, including mobile phones and cash.

Following an extensive investigation, the six were arrested, charged and at Liverpool Crown Court today (Friday, 13 November) were sentenced to a total of 17 years imprisonment for robbery and knife offences.

31-year-old Sallal Hussain of Childwall Avenue, Liverpool was sentenced to two years and six months in prison.

19-year-old Ghaith Bukhary of Malvern Road, Liverpool was sentenced to three years and nine months imprisonment in a young offenders institute.

18-year-old Sanad Omar of Penrose Street, Liverpool was sentenced to four years and six months imprisonment in a young offenders institute.

A 17-year-old from Liverpool was sentenced to three years and two months imprisonment in a young offenders institute.

A 16-year-old from Liverpool was sentenced to three years and one month imprisonment in a young offenders institute.

A 17-year-old from Liverpool was issued with a two year Youth Rehabilitation Order, a 90-day activity requirement and a three-month curfew.

The officer in charge of the case, Alex Rudzinski, said: “These offenders targeted innocent teenagers, some as young as 14-years-old, whilst they were going about their lives in the city centre and it is pleasing to see that justice has been done and they will now spend a significant amount of time behind bars.

“In total, 13 offences were committed and an extensive investigation followed. This involved CCTV analysis, forensic and witness enquiries, search warrants and the examination of mobile phones. After they were arrested and charged, two males, aged 16 and 17 pleaded guilty, whilst the four other offenders were found guilty following a trial.

“To target and bully innocent young people in this way, threatening them with knives before taking their possessions, is disgraceful. Robbery is an extremely personal crime which can have a lasting impact on the victim and I hope the offenders now reflect on the fear and distress they have caused. Let this serve as a stark warning that offenders involved in robbery will be dealt with robustly, and are likely to end up facing a lengthy prison sentence.

“I want to reassure our communities that although robberies remain fairly rare, we want everybody, both personally and commercially, to feel safe whilst going about their lives in our towns and city. As we approach winter and the evenings get darker, there will be increased patrols in our residential and business areas. 

“People are reminded to take extra safety precautions while out and about. Always stick to well-lit roads and pavements, don’t carry large quantities of cash and jewellery on your person and if you see anyone acting suspiciously, please contact us. We will also be visiting retail businesses to provide advice and guidance on how to improve security in the run up to Christmas.

“Finally I would like to thank all the officers and staff involved in bringing these offenders to justice. Their dedication and hard work has brought a successful result to a complex investigation.”

If you have information on robbery or crime in your area, please contact @MerPolCC, 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously on 0800 555 111. Always call 999 in an emergency.