Wasiu Smith, a 26-year-old Nigerian-born immigrant holding a Dutch passport, has been sentenced to five years in prison following a violent crime spree. Smith, who moved to the UK in 2019 and lived in Shropshire and Walsall, targeted four men near Farringdon Tube station on November 4.
The court heard that Smith assaulted Alex Belsham-Harris, a Citizens Advice official, by punching him behind the ear before stealing his laptop bag. He then confronted Bonny Wambulu, feigning possession of a concealed weapon to demand money. His third victim, Alexander Burgess, was coerced into surrendering a valuable opal ring under threat of physical violence. Smith’s final target was Michael Evesque, whom he blocked on the sidewalk.
When apprehended on a bus, authorities recovered the stolen items along with a quantity of crack cocaine. Smith offered a fabricated defense, claiming the items were his, the drugs were planted, and that he had been a victim of an assault himself. He had initially told police he was in the area to view Christmas lights, despite the lights not being active at the time.
