Armed robber wearing bow tie and suit caught by policeman who recognised outfit
A gunman who robbed a newsagent wearing a bow tie and suit was caught because a detective spotted him in the same outfit the next day, a court heard.
Zohirul Haque, 39, raided a newsagent in Bethnal Green, East London, and got away with around £200 in cash, Snaresbrook Crown Court was told.
Flying Squad officers were in the area the following day carrying out inquiries when one spotted a man dressed in similar clothing.
Haque was seen wearing a suit with a handkerchief neatly poking out of his top pocket, a bow tie and a beret – a close match to earlier witness descriptions.
Acting on his hunch, the detective followed Haque until backup arrived and he was arrested.
Det Sgt McGee, said: “I was on my own in the area gathering evidence about this case, when I noticed a man in the street who matched the suspect’s description.
“He stood out as he was wearing a really smart suit with a bow tie, and although it looked different to the one described by the victims, I immediately suspected this was the man we were looking for.
“He was also wearing a rucksack identical to the one worn by the suspect.
“Haque walked straight past me, and I called for colleagues to come to the scene.
“You don’t often get days like that when it all falls into place, and that piece of luck helped to bring justice to the victims, although it took some further police work to secure the evidence we needed.”
Officers were later able to identify him with CCTV footage and on Dec 5 2022 he was arrested and charged with armed robbery.
Scotland Yard said they had not recovered the firearm or the cash, believed stolen during the incident.
Haque, of no fixed address, was convicted of armed robbery at Snaresbrook Crown Court in October last year. He was jailed for 12 years at a sentencing hearing on Monday.
