A man from Oakwood has been jailed after a spree of violent expensive watch robberies in central London.

Nizar Msaad, of Dalrymple Close, was one of two men who pleaded guilty to the robberies, which took place on October 1, 2022.

The 22-year-old and his accomplice – 26-year-old Shaquille Allen – used a moped to target people wearing expensive watches.

Carrying machetes, they punched, kicked and ran over their victims during their two-hour crime spree.

The duo admitted that over a 35 minute period starting just after 8pm that evening, they had committed three attempted robberies in Audley Street, Orchard Street and Frith Street.

In the first incident in Audley Street, a man was approached by the duo riding the moped.

The victim was knocked to the ground and threatened with a machete in an attempt to steal his watch.

A member of staff at a nearby pub intervened, and Msaad and Allen fled on their moped.

The man who had been attacked was not injured, and left before police arrived. He has never been traced.

At 9.30pm, a man was then robbed of his Rolex in Mortimer Street.

Another man was also robbed of his Rolex in Provost Street 15 minutes later, and suffered a minor hand injury.

Police launched an investigation into the robberies after four victims came forward.

The suspects were identified after officers found CCTV footage showing them taking off their helmets.

DNA found on the moped was also linked to Msaad and Alen.

Msaad was jailed for 40 months at Wood Green Crown Court on May 3.

Allen, of no fixed address, was jailed for the same period at the same court on May 7. He was also handed down a 54 month sentence for a separate crime.

Both men had pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery and three counts of attempted robbery at an earlier hearing.

Metropolitan Police Detective Constable Mike Bagnall said: “These were violent attacks on innocent people in the middle of the street in central London.

“It was just fortunate that no one was seriously injured during these reckless offences.

He added: “These were violent robberies and I am glad our determination to find those responsible enabled us to take both these men off the streets.”