By Phillipa Anamaoh-
On Monday afternoon at 2pm, two hammer-wielding men on mopeds targeted comedian and national treasure Michael McIntyre, 42, whilst he was parked outside his children’s school.
The two muggers smashed the windows of his black Ranged Rover with a hammer and forced the comedian to hand over his wallet and rolex watch before speeding off. This all occurred when McIntyre was waiting to collect his two sons in Golders Green, North London.
The 42 year old comedian, worth £38million, was waiting outside a school in north London, when he was robbed at around 2pm yesterday.
It remains unclear whether the moped gang targeted the comedian right from his £5.7million Hampstead mansion, or whether he was the victim of a random attack given the luxury car he drives in an affluent area like West Hamstead.
Michael’s young 10 year old son, Oscar, was in the passenger seat of the car during the attack yet his agent had stated that both Mcyintyre is “absolutely fine and helping the police with enquiries.” His wife Kitty
INJURIES
The Metropolitan police have stated that no injuries were reported and no arrests have been made.
McIntyre is a stand-up comedian and host of Saturday night entertainment series Michael McIntyre’s Big Show.
In 2012 during his UK tour, he played to over 700,000 people in 71 venues including 10 nights at London’s O2 arena, reportedly earned the comic £21m.
McIntyre has also appeared on numerous quiz panel shows including Mock the Week, 8 out of 10 Cats and Have I got News for You and has been a judge on Britain’s Got Talent.
SURGE IN LONDON MOPED CRIME
The number of offences carried out by London mopeds criminals in London has increased from 827 offences in 2012 to more than 23,000 in 2017. Between January and September of that year, there was an average of 53 daily moped thefts.
Data from the BBC revealed during that period, more than 40% of ‘moped enabled’ offences happened in just two boroughs – Camden and Islington.
Police have said there are multiple factors behind the surge in thefts, including a rise in the number of people who use mopeds to commute and an increased demand for second-hand mobile phone parts.
Moped criminals typically travel in pairs, with a passenger sitting behind the rider, targeting busy areas where they can snatch high-end smartphones and other pricey goods. In McyIntyre’s case, the wealthy comedian was most likely a shining target, as local Golder’s Green residents told the BBC
“There are a lot of celebrities in this area and the parents of the schools have been targeted in the past.”
The lady who wishes to be unnamed Hampstead seemed to be increasingly targeted because it is a wealthy area,
“I’ve lived here for years, and normally the trouble is down the other end of the road towards Hampstead.”
Another resident, who had lived nearby on leafy road for three decades said,
“I’m not worried because I don’t wear a Rolex and don’t drive around in a Range Rover.”
Scooter criminals not only target the busy areas but also the wealthy boroughs last year the police aimed to tackle the crime surge with UV spray, mobile stingers and more lightweight motorbikes for officers. Yet more effective methods may be needed in order to halt the rise.