Court throws out lawyer’s argument that 19-year-old could be sucked into a gang if he is in jail for too long

A Queen’s Park teenager who was jailed for taking part in two violent robberies in South Kilburn has lost an appeal to have his sentence reduced.

Mohammed Miah, of Nutbourne Street, was sentenced to five years in a youth’s offender’s institute last November after he admitted two counts of robbery and criminal damage.

Harrow Crown Court heard the 19-year-old, who volunteered at a youth project, was part of 12-strong mob who carried out the two robberies near Bronte House in Cambridge Close, in which one man was stabbed and beaten unconscious, while another was left black and blue as masked robbers jumped him as he got out of his car in February last year.

The robbers caused more than �2,000 worth of damage to the victim’s car.

Today (Thursday), his barrister, David Wood, was at the Court of Appeal, where he asked three senior judges to cut the sentence for the benefit of both Miah and the community.

He said: “The pre-sentence report made it abundantly clear that, although he was not a member of a gang at the time of this offence, he was clearly a danger of becoming one.

“In my submission, a custodial sentence of five years, where there is a real risk of him being subsumed in gang culture, is manifestly excessive.

“It will keep him in a setting where he is very likely to be subject to that sort of influence.”

However, Mr Justice Foskett, sitting with Lady Justice Rafferty and Mr Justice Globe, said the offences were “extremely serious” and justified the long sentence.

Dismissing the appeal, he said: “The appellant plainly has some positive aspects to his character, but they are at present being completely overshadowed by the negative aspects.

“He would be well advised to start thinking clearly about what he wants to achieve in life.”