A professional cyclist says he feared he was about to be murdered when he was ambushed by masked machete-wielding robbers, as one of those responsible is jailed for the attack.
Alex Richardson was training in Richmond Park in October 2021 when he was ambushed by thieves on stolen mopeds who stole his £15,000 bike.
One of the robbers, a 17-year-old boy who was just 15 at the time, has now admitted two counts of a robbery, an attempted robbery, and possession of criminal property, and was sentenced on Tuesday to 12 months in youth custody.
Speaking out after sentencing, Mr Richardson said: “This crime made me fear for my life; I thought I could be murdered at that moment and it continues to cause feelings of anxiety, stress, sleepless nights and a fear to my family’s safety to the point we have hired overnight security at our property on more than one occasion.
“I have a huge fear of riding my bike now on open roads in the UK as this could happen again at any time. My children have also been affected, they have had disturbed sleep and are traumatised by what they saw in the evening with my physical injuries.
“No one should have to feel this way. I wouldn’t want anyone to go through what I have.”
Mr Richardson, a father-of-two who lives in south-west London, took to Instagram after the attack, posting pictures of the injuries he had sustained.
He had been surrounded by the four robbers and took off on his bike at speed, hoping to escape. However the cyclist and Team GB rider was then chased and forced off his bike, before being dragged for around 100 metres as he attempted to hold on to his bike.
Mr Richardson told the Evening Standard he was then threatened with a 15-inch machete, at which point he let go of his bike.
“They saw I had a nice bike and they were committed to getting it”, he said. “I don’t know what lengths they would have gone to but they could easily have said ‘this guy is not giving up, let’s slice him’.”
Scotland Yard said the teenage culprit was caught after accidentally walking into a café where police officers were planning how to solve the crime.
He entered guilty pleas and was sentenced at Wimbledon Youth Court on Tuesday.
“The defendant carried out a number of terrifying offences with no regard for the safety of the victims or the injuries he could cause by ramming them off their bikes and dragging them along the road”, said Detective Constable Ian Croxford.
“It was only by good fortune that none of them were more seriously hurt.
“All of the victims have spoken of the effect these robberies have had on their lives. No-one should have to change the way they behave because of the violent actions of others and we are pleased that this defendant has now been prosecuted.”
The boy admitted two further offences on October 11, 2021, when a man in his 50s was confronted for his bike in Roehampton Lane in a failed robbery and a successful mugging minutes later, when a man was threatened with a machete and rammed from his bike - worth more than £5,000 - in Danebury Avenue, Roehampton.
Officers identified the 15-year-old suspect from CCTV but they did not find him in a series of property raids on October 15.
However when officers went for breakfast in a nearby café following the raids, to discuss next steps, the boy - with a machete tucked down his trousers and a balaclava and £1,500 in cash – walked in and was promptly arrested.
The teenager, who lives in Wandsworth, was charged with the offences almost a year and a half after his arrest, and pleaded guilty at the second court hearing.
