By Gavin Mackintosh-
Two men have been sentenced to a combined total of over 20 years in prison for a string of armed robberies targeting London hotels.
Dymtro Shcherbinskyy, 42, of Blossom Close, Romford, received a 12-year sentence, while Ghislain Kiamuangana, 34, of no fixed address, was sentenced to 10 years.
Both men were convicted on charges including two counts of robbery, one count of attempted robbery, and three counts of possessing a firearm. Kiamuangana pleaded guilty in June 2022, while Shcherbinskyy admitted his guilt in July 2023.
The sentencing follows a trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court, where the duo faced charges related to three separate hotel robberies committed in London, during which they held staff at gunpoint and made away with thousands of pounds.
The crime spree began on January 3, 2022, when the robbers targeted a hotel on Southwark Bridge Road in Southwark. Wearing disguises and armed with a gun, they entered the premises in the early hours of the morning.
Two staff members were threatened, tied up, and forced to reveal the safe combination. After stealing approximately £4,000, the criminals fled the scene.
The pair were caught multiple times on CCTV.
Shcherbinskyy and Kiamuangana could be seen stealing cash from one of the hotels and fleeing from the scene in a getaway vehicle, which helped detectives eventually identify the crooks.
They were sentenced today for a total of 22 years for the robberies committed at the three London hotels, following a trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court.
Southwark Bridge Road in Southwark, another hotel in Canning Town and a third hotel in the City of London area where they made of with around £7,000 in total
A joint investigation by Met and City of London detectives began following the first robbery at a hotel on Southwark Bridge Road in Southwark on January 3.
The men entered the hotel in the early hours of the morning with their faces covered and threatened two members of staff at gun point.
They forced them into a back office of the hotel, tied their hands together and
However, a quick-thinking staff member managed to escape, thwarting the criminals’ attempts.
CCTV analysis revealed the same van with different plates. final robbery took place on January 14 in the City of London, where the duo stole £3,000 at gunpoint. The criminals continued their pattern, using the same van with altered number plates.
The breakthrough in the case came through extensive CCTV and automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) investigations.
Detectives traced the stolen Sprinter van to a petrol station in Lakeside, Essex, leading them to identify Dymtro Shcherbinskyy.
A surveillance operation in Romford resulted in the arrest of both Shcherbinskyy and Kiamuangana, who was identified as the gunman.
A subsequent search of their residences yielded a CO2-powered gun, live ammunition, stolen van, and multiple sets of number plates.
Both men were convicted on charges including two counts of robbery, one count of attempted robbery, and three counts of possessing a firearm. Kiamuangana pleaded guilty in June 2022, while Shcherbinskyy admitted his guilt in July 2023.
Detective Sergeant Lee Warrington of the Met’s Flying Squad praised the collaborative efforts that led to the apprehension of the criminals, emphasizing the impact such crimes have on victims.
Detective Inspector Colin Bishop of the Major Crime Team at City of London Police highlighted the cooperation between law enforcement agencies, which proved instrumental in securing convictions and taking dangerous criminals off the streets.