A man who robbed a teenager of their £1500 e-bike and £700 e-scooter on a London station platform has been jailed after the victim tracked down the thief online.
Jay Archibald, 23, from Lewisham, was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison at Southwark Crown Court after pleading guilty to robbery.
The court heard how on Friday 28 June 2024, Archibald spotted his soon-to-be victim, a 17-year old boy waiting for a lift on the platform of Stratford Overground station with an electric bike and electric scooter.
Archibald approached and grabbed the bike’s handlebars , asking how many volts it had and where the victim was from.
He then said that the bike was his now and demanded the victim hand it over, threatening to hurt him if he failed to give the bike over or if he got him arrested.
The victim, feeling threatened, handed over the bike to Jay who took it along with the scooter before getting on a Jubilee Line train.
A few days later, on Tuesday 2 July, a friend of the victim messaged him to say he had seen his bike posted on social media by an account selling it.
The victim recognised the bike as the one Archibald, of Loampit Vale, had taken, and on other images on the same social media account the victim recognised Archibald.
After the incident was reported to BTP, officers arrested the thief.
Detective Constable Olesia Berdova said: "I am very pleased with the outcome of this investigation. Archibald preyed upon a teenager travelling alone, believing he would be an easy target. As a result of the court's sentence, he will now spend much of the next four years in prison.
“The incident had a massive impact on the victim and his sense of safety and security when travelling on the railway network. Thanks to his bravery and support, we have been able to bring Archibald to justice, and I hope that the lengthy prison sentence handed down provides some measure of peace and closure for the victim and his family.
"There is absolutely no place for robbery on the railway network, and if you've been the victim of a robbery or have witnessed one taking place, I urge you to report it to us by texting 61016. We'll do everything in our power to secure justice for you."
