By Eric King-
An armed robber who carried out two bomb hoaxes at shops just one road away from where he lived has been jailed for life.
Evil Omar Farooq, of Melford Road, East Ham, was sentenced to a minimum of seven years following a conviction for a string of offences.
Snaresbrook Crown Court heard details of Farooq’s amateur criminal conduct before police were called to reports of a robbery at a supermarket in the early hours of October 17 last year.
63 year old Farooq approached a supervisor opening the store and pointed an object resembling a gun at the back of the victim.
The frightened supervisor opened the tills before being forced to reveal the location of the safe. Cowardly Farooq subsequently fled after a delivery driver arrived and realized what was happening.
Barely two weeks had passed, when on October 28, Farooq visited a post office dressed in black with his face covered and slid a note under the counter, telling a member of staff he was carrying out a robbery and had placed a bomb within the store.
Farooq said it would go off in three minutes but would be set off sooner if he wasn’t given money from the tills. He placed a small blue alarm clock which he claimed was the bomb inside the store’s photo booth.
In a separate incident on November 7, Farooq approached the owner with an imitation firearm and demanded money. The victim refused, and other staff members stopped Farooq from forcing his way behind the counter. The criminal, who at his age should no much better, claimed to have a bomb, and threw a small clock, similar to the one used in the post office robbery, into the store before fleeing.
CCTV Of Farooq in action
Farooq was convicted of two counts of robbery, two counts of possession of an imitation firearm with intent, two counts of a bomb hoax and one of attempted robbery.
Det Con Annie Hendy, said: “Farooq targeted venues along a road just around the corner from his home address. He was actually a regular customer at two of the locations.
“These horrific offences had a huge impact on the tight-knit trading community within the area and left one family feeling as if they had no option but to sell their premises after 33 years of trading.”
She added: “Farooq is a career criminal who tried to claim in evidence he had retired from a life of crime. He showed no regard for the welfare of his own community whilst carrying out these terrifying robberies.
“He also showed no respect for the criminal justice system and absolutely no remorse despite having previously been jailed for exactly the same offences he has now committed”. Farooq is a disgrace to his family and generation. He is an example of a man who who was a looser as a youth, and remained a looser at old age.
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Omar Farooq Pic Credits: Met Police