A man from Ealing is one of a pair who have been arrested for more than two years in connection with robberies and attempted robberies in Lowestoft. 

Isaiah Lester, 18, of Cranberry Close in the Borough of Ealing was sentenced to 31 months imprisonment alongside Muhamadu Conte, 20, of Lancaster Drive in the Borough of Havering who was sentenced to 35 months imprisonment. 

Lester was also sentenced to 18 months for unrelated drug offences, which are possession with intent to supply class A drugs and being in the concerned of the supply of class A drugs, the sentences will be served consecutively making a total of 49 months imprisonment. 

PC Ian McBrearty, of East CID, said: "Robbery is a violent crime that can have a lasting impact on victims. 

"Lester and Conte targeted teenage boys, threatening to hurt them if their phones were not handed over. This would have been a very frightening experience for the victims, one of whom sustained minor injury after being assaulted. 

"Tackling violence on our streets is a priority for Suffolk Constabulary and these arrests and the subsequent sentences shows our commitment in keeping our communities safe." 

All of these crimes were committed on Tuesday 30th August 2022, at about 9pm two boys were approached by two men wearing balaclavas who threatened them and searched their pockets whilst demanding their phones. 

The boys offered their phones, but the suspects were not happy with these and threatened violence if they weren't given better phones. 

One of the victims offered an iPhone 7 at another location and on route to collecting it they met a third boy on a bicycle who had arranged to meet them, they took the iPhone 7 and bicycle and rode away. 

The second offence occurred around 9.30pm that same evening when the suspects rode into the Britten Centre and approached a group of youths who were listening to music on a phone, which they demanded the phone, which has handed over but later dropped by the suspects. 

Around the same time, another teenage boy was walking past the group and the suspects threatened him and demanded his phone. He resisted and was punched to the head, causing him to drop his iPhone XR. The boy ran from the scene, towards London Road North, briefly chased by one of the suspects. 

Suffolk Constabulary were called and following enquiries and reviewing CCTV footage, Conte and Lester were identified as the suspects. Lester was arrested on 5 September 2022 and charged the following day; Conte was arrested on 20 September and charged the following day.