A man who attacked a 51 year-old and stole his £145,000 Patek Phillipe watch after befriending him over drinks has been jailed for nine years.
Lindell Angell, 32, left his victim unconscious in the street next to Embankment Tube station in London after punching him repeatedly.
He was found guilty of robbery and possessing criminal property at Southwark Crown Court in November.
Angell befriended his victim on the Strand and convinced him to join him at a nearby bar.
The pair had drinks for two hours and swapped phone numbers before leaving to head home.
CCTV footage captured the shocking moment Angell grabbed his victim and battered him unconscious
Lindell Angell, 32, was jailed for nine and a half years for the robbery at Southwark Crown Court
Angell convinced the victim to go down a dark side street in central London where he suddenly launched an unprovoked and violent attack on the victim, placing him in a chokehold and repeatedly punching him until he fell unconscious.
He then made off with the man’s watch, worth around £145,000.
A member of the public found the victim and called the London Ambulance Service.
The victim was unconscious for several minutes and suffered facial fractures.
CCTV imagery and phone work were used to identify Angell who was then hunted down by police.
Officers tracked the thief down to a hotel on Euston Road the following month.
Police also found a huge pile of cash at a secure lock-up, left there just days after the robbery.
Angell was jailed for nine and a half years for robbery and possessing criminal property at Southwark Crown Court on Friday, January 20.
Angell befriended the 51 year-old victim on the Strand, central London and convinced him to join him for drinks at a bar
Police also found a huge pile of cash at a secure lock-up, left there just days after the robbery
Detective Constable Gemma Oganian, who led the investigation, said: ‘This was a brutal robbery which not only resulted in serious physical harm, but many months after the offence, the victim continues to recover from the psychological trauma.
‘People should be able to walk the streets of London and not fear this type of crime.
‘We are doing everything in our power to ensure our streets our safe, and want to strongly reaffirm this to the public we serve. We will proactively investigate and seek tough sentences for offenders like Angell.’
