Harrow man who attacked and robbed man in Soho jailed

Omed Azizi, of Hargrave Drive, Harrow,, targeted a young man who was enjoying a night out with his friends in Soho.

Police were called to a hotel in Richmond Mews in central London on April 30, after 4am, after a man was found injured in the reception area.

The man, in his 20s, had been assaulted and made his way to the hotel to ask for help.

He had no recollection of what happened to him after being out that night, but detectives recovered CCTV from the area which showed him being violently assaulted by two men, who then ran away from the scene.

CCTV showing the other man - who has not been identified (Image: Met Police)

The men had lured the victim to a quiet cul-de-sac, where they attacked him, stole his Rolex and three designer bracelets, along with his phone, bank cards and other jewellery.

The Metropolitan Police says that despite having CCTV of the men, their faces were not clear and officers had to carry out further enquires to identify the suspects.

Further footage showed one of the men inhaling a balloon before the assault as he moved through Soho, leading the victim to the scene of the attack.

In another clip the man was seen throwing the balloon away, which detectives were able to find and forensic testing identified Azizi’s DNA.

Evidence also showed the victim’s phone was used at a hotel in Marylebone in the hours of the attack, leading to Azizi’s arrest and charge with robbery.

'Dangerous offender'

Azizi, 31, pleaded guilty at Southwark Crown Court on July 3 and was sentenced to six years and nine months’ imprisonment on Monday (September 18).

Detective Constable Harriet Barby, who led the investigation, said: "Azizi is a dangerous offender, who targeted a young man enjoying a night out with his friends in Soho. This type of behaviour is intolerable and the lasting impact that such an unprovoked and violent attack can have on a victim is huge.

“I am pleased that Azizi has received a custodial sentence. Hopefully this will offer the victim and his family some sense of justice.

“This is another example of officers working hard to take dangerous individuals off the streets of London. We are committed to tackling robbery within our communities and keeping Londoners safe.”

Despite the extensive enquiries, the other man has not yet been identified.

Police would like to identify this man (Image: Met Police)

The Met has released two images of him and asks anyone who recognises him to call 101 quoting reference 6530451/23.