The Court of Appeal increased the sentence of 27-year-old Zakaria Mohamed from 21 months’ imprisonment suspended for 24 months to four years and nine months’ imprisonment.

This was the result of an intervention by the Solicitor General who referred the case under the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme.

The court heard that the victim was on his way home after a night out in Leicester and was grabbed and dragged into a car in the early hours of 24 May last year. The victim was threatened with a kitchen knife and slapped as the group demanded his possessions.

The victim was forced to hand over his belongings which included a smartphone, ear pods, a tablet, trainers, tracksuit and designer bag, and his jacket worth around £1,300.

He was then told to get out of the vehicle before it sped off.

Following the robbery, police caught Mohamed outside a nightclub handling and inspecting the stolen items. He was also wearing the victim’s jacket.

In a victim impact statement after the incident, the victim said the robbery had led to him moving to another city and he continues to feel vulnerable every time he goes out.

The Solicitor General Lucy Rigby KC MP said:

This violent robbery was horrific and the substantial sentence increase following my intervention should serve as a stark warning that crime and lawlessness will not be tolerated.

Mohamed pleaded guilty to robbery, driving without a licence and driving without insurance on 3 October 2024 at Leicester Crown Court. He was sentenced at the same court to 21 months’ imprisonment suspended for 24 months on 19 December 2024.

The sentence was increased to a total of four years and nine months’ imprisonment at the Court of Appeal on 25 February 2025.