A robber who inflicted life-altering injuries on a victim has been sentenced to eight years in prison, a development made possible through the Metropolitan Police’s implementation of Live Facial Recognition (LFR) technology.
The Metropolitan Police were notified about Adenola Akindutire, 22, who was transient, on April 15, 2023, as he passed an LFR operation in Stratford. Without this advanced technology, Akindutire could have continued to pose a significant risk to the public.
Despite presenting false identity documents and attempting to alter his voice during the encounter, officers successfully identified him and uncovered the truth of his identity. Akindutire had been on the run since January after committing a robbery at knifepoint.
Technology Leading to Justice
This incident underscores how the Metropolitan Police’s use of LFR contributes to community safety by facilitating the capture of dangerous individuals.
Detective Constable Jonathan Mitchell, who oversaw the investigation, remarked, „This is Live Facial Recognition in action and shows how our use of this technology is making London safer. Akindutire had been wanted for a number of months before the cameras caught up with him. The violent offender will now spend the next eight years behind bars, reflecting on his actions. I hope this sentence provides a sense of justice to the victim while showing the value in this tool in protecting the public from harm.“
Details of the Crime
In January, Akindutire had utilized Facebook Marketplace to pose as a buyer of a Rolex watch, arranging a meeting with the seller in Hayes on January 10. Upon arrival, he attacked the seller with a knife and made off with the watch, leaving the victim with life-changing injuries.
Following the robbery, Akindutire fled to Ireland. During the investigation, authorities also connected him to a similar incident from December 2024, where he had robbed another individual for a Rolex watch.
Akindutire was subsequently declared wanted by the police. It is believed that he returned to the UK using fraudulent documents prior to being captured by LFR cameras in Stratford months later.
After the LFR detection, he was arrested and faced multiple charges, including:
- robbery
- attempted robbery
- grievous bodily harm
- possession of a false identity document
- two counts of possession of a bladed article
He pleaded guilty at Isleworth Crown Court on May 14 and was sentenced to eight years and six months‘ imprisonment on November 5.
Bildquelle: Bildquelle: Matthew Ansley auf Unsplash
