Three men who posed as delivery drivers to force their way into the south London home of a terrified mother and her young children have been jailed for attempted robbery.

Ryan Roche, 27, of Melbourne Grove, Southwark, was sentenced to four years and three months’ imprisonment at Inner London Crown Court on January 15, while Jeamelle Baptiste, 28, of Juniper Road, Crawley, was sentenced to three years and 11 months.

Cavelle Robinson, 26, of Grange Road, Croydon, was sentenced at the same court on 8 December 2020 to three years.

The court heard that at about 6.50pm on Friday, July 3, Robinson drove Roche and Baptiste to near an address in Dulwich.

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Baptiste posed as a delivery man – even wearing a delivery company’s t-shirt and a surgical facemask – and rang the doorbell.

When the victim, a woman in her 30s, opened the door, Baptiste told her he had a parcel for her.

She told him to leave it on the doorstep. He asked for her name and after she replied, he said he had made a mistake and he left.

A few minutes later, the victim heard the doorbell ring several times. She eventually opened the door while holding her one-year-old daughter.

Baptiste was once again at the door holding the parcel.

The victim told him to leave it on the doorstep when Roche, who was hiding to one side, jumped out in a facemask and forcibly pushed the victim into the house.

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The victim pleaded with the suspects not to attack her or hurt her child, as they asked repeatedly “Where are the drugs?”

She replied that there were no drugs in the address, but there was some money in a container on the kitchen counter.

When Baptiste and Roche turned their backs to look at the money, the victim took the opportunity to run into her garden, shouting “call the police, I am being attacked” and catching the eye of a neighbour in his window.

Roche went into the garden, grabbed her arm and dragged her back inside the house.

Clearly spooked by the victim’s actions, Baptiste said to Roche “let’s go.”

Baptiste ran out the front door and Roche quickly followed. The victim ran out into the road, again shouting that she was being attacked and to call the police.

A number of neighbours left their houses and chased after the suspects. One saw the two men enter a black Volkswagen Golf, which was parked nearby.

Immediately after the neighbour called police, officers in a marked vehicle saw the car approach a junction at speed, blocking it.

Roche and Robinson were detained and arrested. Baptiste ran from the front passenger seat and began garden hopping, discarding clothes as he ran, but was soon detained and arrested.

Officers searched the vehicle, registered to Robinson, and found the delivery company t-shirt in the front passenger foot well.

All three pleaded guilty to attempted robbery at the same court on Monday, 28 September. In addition, Robinson pleaded guilty to possession of a Class B drug (cannabis).

Detective Sergeant Chris Shepherd, from the Central South area’s Burglary and Robbery Investigation Team, said: “This case of mistaken identity was an absolutely terrifying ordeal for the victim and her three young children. Luckily, she bravely used an opportunity presented to her to run outside and alert her neighbours.

“I’d like to thank her neighbours for being so vigilant and for calling the police, providing excellent descriptions of the suspects and the getaway vehicle.

"This allowed nearby response officers to swiftly apprehend and arrest the culprits of this abhorrent crime. The evidence we put together left the suspects no choice but to plead guilty.”