Two armed robbers lured in victims on Gumtree with adverts for luxury goods at knock-down prices before ambushing them
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Two armed robbers have been jailed after using the classified selling website Gumtree to lure their victims into a series of terrifying ambushes.
Simon Allen, 25, and 20-year old Ashley Bosson posted a fake advert for a luxury Hi Fi system before giving out false names and addresses to prospective buyers.
The pair then lay in wait in bushes or alleyways near the appointed rendezvous places around Greater Manchester, before robbing their victims and savagely beating them.
Vicious pair: Simon Allen, left, and Ashley Bosson, right, have both been jailed for posing as fake sellers on Gumtree and then attacking prospective buyers
Con: The two men gave their victims fake addresses in Flixton, Manchester, pictured, and robbed them when they arrived with cash to buy the non-existent stereo
One victim was battered over the head and lost £900 as he arrived at a house thinking he was about to buy the Hi Fi.
Another man handed over cash after he was attacked as he sat in his car and the pair smashed his window.
A third victim only escaped after a neighbour who witnessed the robbery let him into his home.
Allen and Bosson were arrested after undercover police logged onto the site and posed as prospective buyers.
After arranging to meet a man known as ‘John’ at a house in Flixton, Greater Manchester, they found Allen hiding in nearby bushes armed with a metal weights bar.
Bosson, who was concealing a large 12” kitchen knife, tried to run to Allen’s car to escape but was caught and arrested.
At Minshull Street Crown Court, Manchester, Allen, from Urmston, yesterday pleaded guilty to three counts of conspiracy to commit robbery and was jailed for six years.
Bosson, from Stretford, admitted one charge of robbery and was sentenced to 18 months in a young offenders institute.
Fake advert: The pair pretended to be selling a sound system worth £3000 for under £1000 on the website Gumtree (stock image)
Greater Manchester Police said the robberies took place in May after a prestige Naim Uniti Hi Fi entertainment system - which normally sells on the high street for up to £3,000 - was advertised for sale on the Gumtree website for £1,750.
A 56-year old man attempted to phone the mobile number given in the ad but there was no reply so he emailed the ‘advertiser’.
He received a reply from Allen to meet at a house in Irlam at 8pm that day but when he arrived, he was confronted by one of the robbers and was grabbed and punched in the head and body while demands were made for money.
Following a scuffle, a nearby resident opened their door and let the victim in to escape the assault. The robber smashed the victim’s car window and ran off.
The following day a 48-year-old man noticed the advert for the Hi Fi, which was now being sold for £950, and sent an email. He received a reply to meet ‘John’ after 5pm at a house in Davyhulme.
When he arrived, he received a phone call from Allen who told him to go to a different address on the same road. But as he arrived and parked up, a yob smashed the driver’s window with a metal bar and demanded he hand over the money.
Behind bars: Allen was jailed for six years and Bosson for 18 months at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court (pictured)
Fearing for his safety, he gave the man the money who immediately ran off.
Later that night, a 47-year-old man had also arranged to meet the ‘seller’ at a house on Urmston knocked on the door and when he got no answer called Allen on his mobile phone to see where he was.
Allen told him he would send someone down to see him before the victim was then ambushed by two men wearing balaclavas from an alley way.
He was hit across the head with a cosh, causing him to fall to the floor, dislocating his knee. They continued to hit him before they stole £900 and the victim’s mobile phone and ran off.
Today PC Nathan Butterworth of Greater Manchester Police said: 'The Hi Fi system can sell for around £3,000 so when the victims saw the advert, they thought they were getting a good deal.
'To look at, the ad seemed genuine and would not raise any concerns from those looking at it.
'Both Allen and Bosson purposefully set out to not only con innocent people out of their money but inflict physical and psychological pain on their victim’s.
'The force and violence they used to get what they wanted sums up what kind of people they are. Thankfully, they are now behind bars where they can no longer hurt anyone.'
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