Four men travelled 180 miles to attack and rob man

Police mugshots of a composite image of two of the men. They are both wearing grey jumpers, one is bald and clean shaven and the other has short black hair and stubble.Image source, Humberside Police
Image caption,

Vincent Bennett, left, and Sukhvinder Singh-Degwa were found guilty of conspiracy to commit robbery and conspiracy to possess an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence

  • Published

Four men are due to be sentenced after they travelled 180 miles to attack and steal from a man on his driveway.

The 41-year-old man, from Scunthorpe, was left with injuries to his face and his house and car keys were also stolen during the incident on 28 November 2023.

The four attackers were found guilty of conspiracy to commit robbery after a 22-day trial at Grimsby Crown Court.

They will be sentenced at Hull Crown Court in January.

Image source, Humberside Police
Image caption,

Mark Baguena, left, and Safin Mohammed were found guilty of conspiracy to commit robbery

All four men were found unanimously guilty of the following offences, which they had pleaded not guilty to:

  • Mark Baguena, 44, of King Henry's Mews, Enfield, was found guilty of conspiracy to commit robbery

  • Vincent Bennett, 45, of Government Row, Enfield, was found guilty of conspiracy to commit robbery and conspiracy to possess an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence

  • Safin Mohammed, 45, of Upper Tollington Park, London, was found guilty of conspiracy to commit robbery

  • Sukhvinder Singh-Degwa, 45, of Fassett Square, London, was found guilty of conspiracy to commit robbery and conspiracy to possess an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence

'Sinister attackers'

The four men travelled to Scunthorpe in a hired van and VW, Humberside Police said.

When the 41-year-old victim was walking to his front door, Bennett and Singh-Degwa approached him from behind, with Singh-Degwa launching a first blow.

Bennett then pulled a weapon from his pocket and pointed it at the victim, threatening to shoot him, the force added.

He then struck the man with the butt of the gun causing injury.

The men fled the scene when a neighbour became aware of the commotion and were later found by police in the VW.

Armed officers conducted a search of the VW and found two bags of imitation police uniform items, including stab vests, baseball caps and t-shirts.

Bennett was also found to be in possession of a police warrant card.

Det Con Scott Belton, from Scunthorpe's criminal investigation department, said: "He was targeted, four on one, in an unprovoked attack within touching distance of his own home."

He described the four men as "sinister attackers", added that they travelled more than 100 miles to attack an innocent man, whom they didn't know.

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