Muggers dubbed the 'Laindon Snatchers' put behind bars

Carl Willings was jailed at Basildon Crown Court last week for his part in the robberies

Jailing them at Basildon Crown
Court yesterday Judge John
Lodge said: “These are particularly
serious offences of robbery.
“People in this area are entitled
to walk the streets alone in times
of darkness.
“They should know that, if people
attack them, then the courts
will protect them.”
The court heard Willings
robbed a woman while he was
walking his German shepherd
dog in Dordells, Laindon, on
November 14.

Daniel Jacobs was also put behind bars

The woman was walking alone
at about 8pm when Willings
walked past her before doubling
back and snatching her handbag.
Jacobs robbed a 58-year-old
woman as she left Laindon station
with her husband on
November 15.
He took her handbag containing
an iPhone, another mobile
phone and her bank cards.
She was knocked to the floor,
suffered a head injury and was
taken to Basildon Hospital where
she needed 10 staples.
Jacobs also robbed two women
as they waited at a bus stop outside
the Plough and Tractor Pub,
in Ballards Walk, on November 14.
In addition to the robbery
charges, the snatchers were sentenced
for seven counts of fraud,
after they made withdrawals
totalling £500 from the second victim’s
bank account.
Allan Compton, who represented
Willings, said his client had
asked to go to jail because he was
homeless and wanted to get off
drugs. He told the court Willings
spiralled into drug use after the
death of his mother and intended
to move to Wales on his release
from jail.
Mike Warren, mitigating for
Jacobs, said his client had run up
a £1,500 drugs debt after splitting
with his girlfriend and losing his
job.
He said: “He is horrified he
committed these offences. He bottomed
out and is now at a stage
where he feels he can move forward.”
Judge Lodge jailed Jacobs for
two years, eight months and
Willings for two years.
A 16-year-old, who cannot be
named for legal reasons, has also
been charged in connection with
further incidents in the area and
will appear in court at a later date

How the Echo broke the story of the 'Laindon Snatchers'

‘I won’t go out at night now’

A WOMAN who was robbed at
the same time the Laindon
Snatchers were operating, has
spoken of her terrifying ordeal.
The attack on Pauline Carney,
56, was initially investigated as
part of Carl Willings and Daniel
Jacobs’ robbery spree. However,
they were never charged with the
offence.
Mrs Carney and her husband
were walking home from an
evening out in Basildon when
they were attacked by three people
in Uppermayne on Sunday,
November 2. The gang attacked
Mr Carney, knocking him out.
They then attacked his wife,
punching her twice in the face
and leaving her with bone fractures
and two missing teeth.
Mrs Carney said: “I won’t go
out at night now.
“I had to have implants to
replace my missing teeth and my
treatment is still ongoing.
Because of that I am reminded of
the attack every day.
“Me and my husband don’t go
out together any more. On the
night it happened we had decided
to walk home because we could
not get a taxi. He has to drop me
off and pick me up every time I
go out at night, because I am still
frightened.”
The attack happened as the
couple were walking along
Uppermayne towards Laindon.
Mrs Carney said: “I think they
had waited until after the street
lights went out because it was
pitch black when we were
attacked.
“We saw them in front of us,
but they managed to double back
on us in the darkness.
“They knocked my husband
out and then punched me in the
face.
“They pushed me to the floor
and then stole my mobile phone
from my pocket.”
Mrs Carney said Willings and
Jacobs’ jail sentences were not
long enough.

The pair were arrested after an operartion by Basildon CID

TERRIFYING MUGGINGS
LEFT PEOPLE SCARED
TO WALK THE STREETS

WOMEN were left terrified to
go out alone at night as the
“Laindon Snatchers” prowled
the streets.
Daniel Jacobs, 26, and Carl
Willings, 43, mainly targeted middle-
aged women walking home
alone in the evening.
The victims were attacked,
threatened with knives, and one
woman was left needing hospital
treatment.
The Echo can now reveal that,
during an appearance at Basildon
Magistrates’ Court in November,
the pair revealed they had carried
out the mugging spree to pay off
class A drug debts to notorious
gang the Bush Boys.
The Echo broke the story of the
Laindon Snatchers’ campaign of
violence after four robberies were
committed in one week.
A week later, there had been a
further four street muggings.
Most of the attacks happened
in the roads off Great Knightleys
in Laindon, between 8pm and
midnight. The victims, aged
between 45 and 60, were approached
from behind, threatened
and had their bags snatched.
Police urged women to be careful
in the evenings and patrols
were stepped up in the area.
Scared women told the Echo
how they would go out without
their handbags, or would take
sons and husbands with them to
the shops.
One woman even told the Echo
she would drive into the centre of
Basildon to walk her dog in the
evening.