Two violent robbers caught thanks to the heroic actions of a 10-year-old boy have been jailed for a spate of robberies across London.

Brothers Eugene Williams, 36 (18.01.1980) of Station Road E7 and Devlin Williams, 33 (8.12.1983) of Hirst Crescent, Wembley were imprisoned for a total of 14 years and eight months today, Tuesday 2 May at Southwark Crown Court.

Amongst the violent incidents committed by the pair, was the robbery of a woman at her home in Wildwood Road, NW11. Tania Levenfiche, 48, had just arrived home with her ten-year-old son Didier when the Williams brothers grabbed her round the neck and snatched her jewellery.

Didier witnessed the entire incident, memorising their faces and activating the house alarm. His actions led to police identifying the brothers and Didier was named Westminster police’s hero of 2016.

Eugene Williams pleaded guilty on 8 December 2016 to robbing four women between 19 November 2015 and 13 June 2016 as well as possession of criminal property. He was jailed for eight years. His licence was also extended for three years.

Devlin Williams pleaded guilty to one count of robbery on 13 June 2016 and two separate offences of robbery committed on 4 and 7 August 2016. He was sentenced to six years and eight months’ imprisonment. His licence was also extended for three years.

Another man, Hatim Nahal, 31 (20.09.85) of Kingshill Drive, Harrow, Devlin Williams accomplice in the robbery on 7 August pleaded guilty to that offence on 27 March 2017. He will be sentenced tomorrow, Wednesday 3 May.

Detective Constable Martin Thomas, the investigating officer from Westminster’s Crime Squad, said: “Eugene and Devlin Williams are dangerous criminals who targeted innocent people across London.

“Thanks to Didier’s attention to detail, both men were arrested in August 2016 and successfully picked out at an ID parade. Didier’s brave actions directly led to them being brought to justice and we are very proud to have named him as our hero of the year.”

48-year-old Tania Levenfiche said: “My son did not know what to do as he stood helpless but thank goodness had the sense of mind to push the panic button. As he said to me after the attack “Mummy I felt so bad I couldn’t save you”. He has since had continuous nightmares about the attack and is so scared to get in and out of the car in our driveway at any time of the day or night. He has not slept a whole night since the incident and also is very disturbed by the fact that the attackers kicked our dog over and over as she tried to jump up at them to help me. Please remember that he watched this whole incident and the face of the attacker staring at him.

“The Westminster Crime Squad and in particular Detective Martin Thomas have done an amazing job in piecing together this jigsaw. If I am honest, I honestly did not think that anyone would be caught, let alone charged for this crime. I thought it would just slip through the system and become a file in a box. Martin and his team have spent countless hours which have turned into days and then months putting together clues that could have been insignificant to anyone else but which through their determination and hard work have created the result that we all wanted. It would have been much easier for them to have given up. We only get to hear the negative at times on The Met Police but this closure proves that they deserve more credit than I can begin to offer. Martin Thomas and his team have taken these dangerous creatures off of the streets and I hope that their superiors have taken into account how the victims feel with this end.”

In 2015 Westminster Crime Squad began investigating a series of robberies being committed in north-west London.
Detectives identified linked robberies in Barnet where the suspects used the same method of attacking their victims from behind and then stealing their jewellery.”

The first incident occurred at 23:05hrs on 31 May 2016. The victim and her husband, both in their 60s, had arrived home at their address in Bigwood Road, NW11 when they were attacked on their doorstep by two men. They were pinned to the ground and the woman’s diamond ring which she had worn for 43 years was wrenched from her finger.

At 16:20hrs on 13 June, Tania Levenfiche was attacked. She was approached from behind by two men who placed her in a head-lock and pulled violently at her ears, ripping out her earrings. One also tried to grab her watch. The men kicked at the family dog who tried to protect his owner. Didier raised the alarm and a family friend ran out of the house before the suspects made off in a BMW.

The BMW had been stolen and was using cloned number plates. Detectives quickly traced the vehicle being driven on Wornington Road, Notting Hill and attempted to stop it. The vehicle drove at a police officer, causing him to jump out of the way, before mounting the pavement, hitting two parked cars and then making off at speed.

The driver lost control of the vehicle further down Wornington Road. Both driver and passenger were uninjured and made off from the scene. Forensic evidence combined with CCTV of the fleeing suspects identified Eugene Williams as a driver of the vehicle and the main suspect for the robbery on 13 June.

On 18 August Eugene Williams was arrested near an address in Pembridge Crescent W11. When arrested he was wearing a £9,000 Rolex Daytona watch and a diamond signet ring later valued at more than £20,000. In the address officers found a solid gold Rolex with diamond bezel worth £55,000. A log book for a Ducati motorbike was also found. Assets seized from Eugene Williams totalled £100,000. He had no job or other form of income. The jewellery was the proceeds of the crime committed over a year-long period.

Devlin Williams was also proven to be linked to the offence on 13 June after he was identified in an ID parade. The distinctive tracksuit worn by Delvin captured on CCTV footage was linked to him and later found at his home address following a search.

Investigating officers DC Martin Thomas and DC Sarah Millman then proceeded to gather evidence on the most recent offence before working backwards, linking Eugene to crimes as far back as 19 November 2015.

On that date a 55-year-old woman was attacked on her doorstep in Tregunter Road SW10 by Eugene and another suspect. Eugene covered the victim’s mouth and nose with his hand and said: “Don’t shout don’t scream or we will hurt you”. The other suspect took the victim’s £94,000 diamond engagement ring, wedding ring and Cartier watch.

Less than a week after this offence, Eugene visited a motorcycle dealership and spent £10,000 cash on a Ducati Superbike.

At around 08:15hrs on 16 December 2015 a 42-year- old-woman was returning home after walking her dog in Wendell Park. She was on Lefroy Road when she was attacked by Eugene and another man. Eugene held the victim in a bear hug with his hands over her mouth telling her “if you make a noise I’ll kill you” while the other suspect pulled her platinum and diamond ring – valued at £40,000 – from her finger. The suspects were challenged by a witness and made off towards a grey BMW

DC Thomas added: “The level of violence used against these victims was gratuitous and has left them traumatised. Westminster Crime Squad have worked tirelessly to convict these robbers who used the proceeds of their crime to fund their lifestyle. London is much safer with these violent men bought to justice and behind bar”

Vanessa Donkin, 42, victim of robbery on 16 December 2015 said: “After the attack in December 2015, I have become extremely jumpy and on high alert to danger – real or imagined. Because of the timing and location of the attack (8.30 in the morning just outside my house) I no longer feel ‘safe’ anywhere.

“As a result of the attack, we had all the locks changed and fortified in our house and I now lock the car door at all times when we are in it especially when stationary. On several occasions strangers have passed by me or come up quickly behind me on the street making me scream in fright, a direct result of the suddenness and surprise element of my attack. My youngest daughter saw me immediately afterwards and was obviously very upset to see her mother in such a distressed state. She often refers to it even now, a year later.

“The ring itself was a family heirloom that had been passed down through the generations so it was of immense sentimental value. For a long time, because of the ring’s monetary worth I thought the men may have been watching me and that the attack was pre-meditated. I no longer wear any jewellery, am constantly on the lookout for danger and often have flashbacks to the day of the attack. I have been left with a sense that you can be attacked anywhere at any time, that essentially you are powerless to completely protect yourself and that passers-by/members of the public are not necessarily going to be able to come to your aid. As you can imagine these are not very comforting thoughts and I am trying hard to shake them off.

I have been greatly relieved by the fact that these two men have now been held accountable thanks to the hard work and dedication of DC Martin Thomas and his team. They have kept me informed at every stage and have restored my faith in our police force and its efforts to keep us safe.”

Devlin Williams went on to commit two further separate robberies without his brother in August 2016. On 4 August 2016 Devlin saw a 74 -year-old woman enter Tesco on Portobello Road. Devlin entered Tesco and passed the victim in the shop. He then waited outside for her to leave and followed her whilst she was on the phone. Another person, directed by Devlin attacked the victim on her doorstep, stealing her £20,000 Rolex and leaving her bruised and suffering from panic attacks. The other person charged alongside Williams for this robbery, Darren Evelyn, 40 (04.11.76) of Leamington Park, Acton, was acquitted at Southwark Crown Court after a week long trial in February.

On 7 August 2016 a 30-year-old man was attacked in his hire car in West Hill, Harrow. He was stabbed in the leg and had his newly purchased Rolex watch worth £7000 stolen from him. Also in the hire car was his friend of 15 years Hatim Nahal. After the arrest of Devlin for the robbery on 4 August 2016 evidence was found that on 7 August 2016 Devlin had been in contact with Nahal.

Officers uncovered a plot between Devlin and Nahal to set up his friend to be robbed. Nahal had accompanied the victim to a shopping centre a week prior to the offence where he bought the watch. Devlin took possession of the stolen watch in order to sell it. Another man was used to commit the robbery but Devlin and Nahal pleaded guilty to arranging the robbery.

The other man, Devon Johnson, 25 (13.05.91) of Ladbroke Grove, Kensington, was acquitted following a week long trial in March.