A man has been given an 11-year extended prison sentence after he admitted carrying out a series of robberies.
Erasmus Darkwah, 29, used a dating app to arrange to meet people and then took them down an alley where he threatened them with a bottle and stole their phones.
On other occasions he mugged people or tried to rob them in the same alleyway near his home in Northgate Road, Crawley.
At Brighton Crown Court, Darkwah pleaded guilty to three robberies and an attempted robbery.
He mugged Sajan Sharma and Noah Apeneahier in April, stealing a black Samsung S20+ mobile phone from the former and a mobile phone, two gold chains and a jacket from the latter.
And he stole an iPhone 15 Pro worth £1,500 from Lee McConnell in May.
Darkwah also pleaded guilty to attempted robbery after trying to steal a phone from Drayden Faraday at the same location at the start of June.
He admitted all four charges at Brighton Crown Court before Judge Stephen Mooney on Thursday 15 August.
And on Friday 15 November, he was given an 11-year extended sentence when he appeared before Judge Gary Lucie at Hove Crown Court.
Judge Lucie told Darkwah that he deemed him to be “dangerous” in law and that he posed a significant risk of serious harm to the public.
There would be two elements to his sentence, the judge said. Darkwah would have to serve at least two thirds of an eight-year jail term before being considered for parole.
And he would spend the rest of the 11 years on licence, under the supervision of the probation service, regardless of when he was released from prison.
Sussex Police said today (Monday 18 November): “A man has been jailed for a series of planned robberies in Crawley.
“It was heard that Erasmus Darkwah would either find his victim or meet someone known to him in an alleyway off Northgate Road and threaten them with a smashed glass bottle.
“On Sunday 14 April, a man in his thirties used the alleyway as a shortcut when he was met with Darkwah. He stole his phone.
“On Monday 15 April and Monday 27 May, Darkwah arranged to meet two men in their forties and fifties respectively via a dating app.
“When he met them both, he took them down the same alley off Northgate Road, threatened them with a bottle, and stole their phones.
“Similarly, on Sunday 2 June, a man in his twenties was walking down the alley when Darkwah threatened him and demanded his phone.
“The victim managed to escape without handing over any property.
“On Monday 3 June, Darkwah, 29, of Northgate Road, Crawley, was arrested and later charged with three counts of robbery and one count of attempted robbery.”
Detective Inspector Martin Drabble said: “This pattern of incidents was concerning for the community and it was vital that teams across the county worked hard to secure charges for Darkwah.
“I am glad the sentence reflects the harm he caused to his victims. To put your trust into someone, only for them to rob and threaten you, is shocking.
“This sentence should also act as a deterrent for potential offenders and show that we will investigate and put you before the courts.”
