Romford Road robber gets more jail

ELEVEN ROBBERIES in Stratford and Forest Gate last summer was enough to earn David Blyth, 30, of Romford Road, E7 nine years in prison and seven years on licence. That sentence has now been increased on appeal.

Blyth targetted lone women in his crime spree – threatening most of them with a knife and, in most cases, stealing their cars. He was first sentenced on 4th March at Snaresbrook Crown Court. The appeal against that sentence was heard at the Royal Courts of Justice. Last Thursday, 24th May, the Court increased the sentence to 13 years and six months in prison and four years on licence.

It took a huge police operation to bring Blyth to justice. Officers from the North East Area CID interviewed victims and witnesses, looked at forensic evidence and reviewed hours of CCTV. Their breakthrough came when they realised that an image on CCTV matched the descriptions provided by the robbery victims.

The image was identified as David Blyth – a man who had left prison days before last summer’s robberies began. He had been sent to prison after robbing a lone woman, at knifepoint, back in 2015. Police moved to arrest him, charge him with one initial offence – and then then charges in connection with a further ten robberies followed. Blyth ended up pleading guilty to eleven counts of robbery.

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