Man jailed after string of armed robberies in south London bookmakers

Michael Lindo, 41, of no fixed address, appeared at Croydon Crown Court on Wednesday (June 7) after pleading guilty to 15 offences relating to nine armed robberies and attempted armed robberies across bookmakers in south London.

The offences took place between May 2022 and September 2022 under similar circumstances, where Lindo would enter the premises with his face concealed by a mask.

Lindo would usually approach the counter, demanding cash from the cashier and threatening them with an imitation firearm before fleeing.

CCTV footage of one of the offences caught on film (Image: Police)

In total, he stole over £9,000.

Officers from Met’s Flying Squad began investigating the offences as a linked series and Lindo was identified as a suspect in September 2022.

Officers began to conduct surveillance on Lindo and on the evening of September 20, 2022 he was observed approaching a bookmakers in Tooting where he used a “suspected firearm” to threaten staff and demand money.

Lindo was arrested after firearms officers moved in.

The suspected firearm was examined and police found it to be a “highly convincing” looking imitation of a firearm.

Imitated firearm (Image: Metropolitain Police)

CCTV, surveillance, witness, forensic and mobile phone evidence gathered during the investigation led Lindo to plead guilty in court.

Lindo had previously been on licence after serving six years of an 11-year sentence for a previous armed robbery offence.

Breakdown of offences in 2022:

- 6 May 2022: Armed robbery of a betting shop in Lower Addiscombe Road Croydon - £3,342 stolen;

- 11 June: Attempted armed robbery of a betting shop in Brockley Road, SE4;

- 11 June: Attempted armed robbery of a betting shop in Milkwood Road, SE24;

- 11 June: Attempted armed robbery of a betting shop in Acorn Parade, SE15;

- 11 August: Armed robbery of a betting shop in Croydon Road, SE20 - £700 stolen;

- 15 August: Armed robbery of a betting shop in Brixton Hill, SW2 - £4,500 stolen;

- 3 September: Armed robbery of a betting shop in Streatham Road - £475 stolen;

- 3 September: Attempted armed robbery of a betting shop in Streatham Road;

- 20 September: Attempted armed robbery of a betting shop in London Road, SW17.

A passage from the sentencing note read: “The defendant generally targeted premises where there were no customers, often when there was a lone female member of staff working and often when the premises were opening or towards closing time.

“There were in total 11 different members of staff who were the victims of these robberies, some of whom suffered serious psychological harm.“

Detective Sergeant Paul Bartlett, Flying Squad, said: "Lindo is a prolific and dangerous man who thought nothing of terrifying the victims in these incidents in order to get what he wanted.

"These are people who were going about their work as normal when they were thrust into situations in which they feared for their lives.

“The effects of these kind of incidents can't be underestimated; there may be no physical injury but the psychological impact can be devastating.

"It is no exaggeration to say that London is a safer place with him behind bars."