A motorist whose dashcam footage captured the moment knife-wielding moped muggers swarmed around his car, has told of his terror after being stabbed by one of the gang
A motorist whose dashcam footage captured the moment knife-wielding moped muggers swarmed around his car, has told of his terror after being stabbed by one of the gang.
Speaking exclusively to MailOnline the man, who has asked not to be named for his own safety, said he feared for his life during Saturday’s attack on the North Circular, one of London’s busiest roads.
He was stabbed in the wrist – leaving a cut an inch deep – by a thief armed with a zombie-style knife who later fled with his £30,000 watch.
The 27-year-old businessman from East Ham in East London said: ‘They came out of nowhere and all of a sudden they were all around the car.
‘There was a moped one side of my window and another next to the passenger side window where my friend was sitting.
‘They were brandishing hammers and were shouting ‘give us your watch’.
‘I said no at first but then another thief came up to my window behind, I think he was on foot, and jabbed the knife through my open window.
‘At that point I immediately relented and said ”here, take it” and handed it over.
‘While this was going on another man had climbed onto the bonnet and was smashing the windscreen with a hammer.’
He was stabbed in the wrist – leaving a cut an inch deep – by a thief armed with a zombie-style knife who later fled with his £30,000 watch
Shocking images of the robbery have been released by the police. One of suspects can be seen jumping onto to bonnet
He continued: ‘As soon as they got my watch, they sped off on mopeds. There were six of them in total I think, three mopeds, each with two people on.
‘I got out of the car after they’d gone and my friend said ”look, you’re bleeding”. I gazed down at my wrist and blood was dripping all over the floor.
‘That was the first I realised I’d been stabbed, when he’d stuck the knife through the window he’d actually got me but the fear and adrenaline of the robbery must have distracted me.
‘When I saw the knife, which had a blade of about six or seven inches long, I was really worried about my safety and that of my friend’s. We could have been killed if I’d resisted any more.
‘Some people who witnessed the attack, rushed up to me and covered the wound with tissue until the police and paramedics arrived.
‘I was taken to hospital and had four stitches on my right wrist.
‘Luckily it wasn’t worse but these moped muggers seem to be out of control at the moment.’
The Metropolitan police released the shocking dashcam images earlier this week, which show the moment the gang attacked.
The two victims were out on a Saturday night and were sitting in a Mazda RX5 that had stopped at traffic lights on the A406 in Finchley, North London at 6.30pm.
As the car waited at the traffic lights on London’s North Circular Road, two mopeds, carrying four male suspects, rode up on either side
One of the suspects jumped on to the bonnet and smashed the windscreen by kicking it. The gang made off with watches from the two victims
The incident took place on the North Circular Road in London on Saturday June 2
Two mopeds, carrying four male suspects, rode up on either side and demanded the pair hand over their watches.
Both muggers threatened them with hammers before the man with the knife approached the car from behind.
Another one of the gang then climbed onto the bonnet and kicked the windscreen and shattered the glass with a hammer.
One of suspects, whose attack was captured on dashcam. One of the victims was treated in hospital for a knife cut to the arm
The victim believes the knifeman and his accomplice who leapt onto the bonnet had been on a third moped parked behind.
The gang fled with the man’s Audemars Piguet Royal Oak watch, which has a blue face and his passenger’s Fossil Watch.
The gang was seen heading west on the A406 towards Brent Cross.
The victim added: ‘The Audemars Piguet watch was a gift from my friend and isn’t insured. It’s worth between £25,000 and £30,000.
‘On top of that the damage to the car is another £25,000 but the police have said that they may never catch them as they had helmets shielding their faces and the dash cam footage doesn’t really show the number plates of their mopeds.’
Official figures revealed that violent crime is up in 42 of 43 police force areas – in some by more than 50 per cent.
In London, moped gangs are leaving a trail of terror.
Comedian Michael McIntyre was forced to hand over his Rolex after being robbed by moped thieves as he drove his children to school in Golders Green, north London on Wednesday morning.
The suspect approaching the car. Two mopeds, carrying four male suspects, rode up on either side of the vehicle
And a woman remains in a critical condition after moped robbers punched her to the ground while stealing her phone.
The 24-year-old was walking in Edgware, North London at around 9.10pm on Monday when two men rode up to her on a moped.
She struggled with the pillion passenger, who punched her and took her mobile phone and bag. The woman fell to the ground and suffered head injuries.
Detectives from Barnet CID are investigating Saturday’s attack and say no arrests have been made at this stage.
DC Oliver Kotis said: ‘This was a shocking attack on innocent people in broad daylight. We are determined to bring these violent criminals to justice, but we need the help of the community to find and arrest these people.
‘Anyone who either witnessed this crime, was in the area and has dashcam footage, or anyone with any information should contact police immediately. Your information could be vital in bringing these dangerous men to justice.