Mourners’ carjacker from Canning Town is given ten year jail term
A Canning Town man has been jailed for ten years for a string of car robberies, including five attacks on elderly people tending graves of loved ones.
Frank Brooks, 29, of Monk Drive, was sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court while his partner, Frankie Pellicci, 31, of Collier Row, received a two-year suspended sentence.
The pair, who had been dating for 11 years, conspired to steal vehicles from unsuspecting motorists, the majority pensioners, over an eight-month period in 2010.
Robbery
The court heard they worked together to steal 20 cars before selling them on.
The vehicles were valued at more than �250,000 and included a Range Rover Sport and a Mercedes E-Class.
Brooks had previously been convicted of conspiracy to steal, encompassing the theft of 20 vehicles. He was also found guilty of six counts of robbery, having assaulted victims in order to gain access to their vehicles.
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Pellicci, who was convicted of conspiracy to steal offences, assisted Brooks and acted as his “getaway driver”.
On five occasions, Brooks approached drivers visiting Barkingside and Chigwell cemeteries. distracted them before escaping in their cars.
A police operation led to the accused’s arrest in January at Pellicci’s home address.
Det Con Ian Evans, of the Met’ Police’s London Crime Squad, said after last week’s sentence: “Brooks and Pellicci shamelessly conspired to force drivers from their cars and steal what was very often their only form of transport.
“Brooks deliberately targeted vulnerable people, usually pensioners, to ensure he could make a quick escape.
“Pellicci knew of his plans and assisted him, both at the scene and during the sale of the vehicles.”
They left their victims extremely shaken and Brooks became more violent in his approach. On one occasion, an elderly man was left with a broken pelvis after a robbery in Chigwell.
