Nottingham, UK — Four men have been jailed after a brutal robbery in Nottingham, in which a 19-year-old student was violently attacked, frogmarched into an alleyway, and robbed during a terrifying 40-minute ordeal. The incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, 18 April 2023, on Wellington Street in Nottingham city centre.
The student, who was walking alone, was ambushed by three masked robbers. They forcibly dragged him into a secluded alleyway, where they locked a gate to prevent his escape. The attackers stole the victim’s iPhone and forced him to provide his passcodes. They then accessed his banking app, transferring £1,539.63 from the student’s account into another account before fleeing the scene with his phone.
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A thorough police investigation led by Nottinghamshire Police uncovered key evidence through CCTV footage. The suspects were tracked down to an eatery in Hockley, where one of them was caught making a bank card transaction. Further financial checks revealed that Oliver Sapounov, one of the suspects, had links to the robbery. Sapounov was found to be one of three directors of a company established just two months before the crime.
Further investigation identified Sapounov’s co-directors, Aqeel Hussain and Sefa Duzgan, both of whom were linked to the crime through their previous association with Sapounov at a Luton college. Warrants were issued at various locations, leading to the discovery of significant evidence, including large sums of cash.
During the raids, the victim’s stolen iPhone was found in Sapounov’s bedroom. Sapounov was arrested on suspicion of robbery and money laundering, while Hussain was apprehended, and Duzgan later surrendered to the police.
A fourth individual, Adeel Din, was arrested on suspicion of money laundering after bank transactions linked him to the criminal activities. Faced with overwhelming evidence, Hussain, Duzgan, and Din pleaded guilty to multiple charges at Nottingham Crown Court, while Sapounov was convicted by a jury.
The four men have now been sentenced, bringing an end to the harrowing crime spree that terrorized the victim.