A man and a boy have been jailed for a combined seven years after robbing a 29-year-old at knifepoint on-board a London train.

Their convictions follow an extensive British Transport Police (BTP) investigation.

Nicholas Connor, 23, and of Bennett Road, London, appeared at Inner London Crown Court on 19 October 2022 where he pleaded guilty to robbery.

He returned to the same court on Friday 28 April and a judge sentenced him to five years and three months imprisonment.

A 17-year-old boy was sentenced on the same day to 24-months in a young offender institution. He pleaded pleading guilty to robbery and possession of an offensive weapon at an earlier date.

On the evening of 25 August 2021, Connor and the boy noticed the victim board a southbound train at London St Pancras railway station.

They both put on face coverings and walked down the carriage before pinning the victim against the train’s window – as they did so the boy pulled out a knife and held it against the victim’s stomach.

Connor took the victim’s wallet and began rooting through it before he turned the boy and said, “just stab him”.

The pair then got off the service at Blackfriars station and later that evening Connor used the victim’s Oyster card when boarding a bus.

Investigating officers successfully identified the pair through the train’s on-board CCTV cameras and they were subsequently arrested in connection.

BTP Detective Constable Daniel Phelan, investigating officer in the case, said: “We know offenders like Connor are targeting people on the railway to take their belongings, and we’re wholeheartedly committed to ensuring they are caught and put behind bars where they belong.

“This pre-meditated robbery would have been very distressing for the victim, I just hope the prison sentences handed down go some way to providing him with closure.

“Our uniformed and plain-clothes teams deploy on the rail network every day to deter this crime type and ensure passengers’ right to a safe journey is upheld.

“If a robbery has just happened, always dial 999 – our officers will quickly deploy to your location and begin immediate enquiries to trace the culprits.”

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