Two men jailed after series of east London armed robberies

Wayne Byrne, of Rush Green Road, Romford, and James Mansbridge, of Bond Street, Chelmsford, are both said to have shown “no genuine remorse” for their actions.

An investigation was launched after two robbers threatened a driver of a national delivery company’s van in Broomhill Road, Goodmayes, with a knife and a gun on Christmas Eve, 2021.

They stole the van at around 9.18am and drove it to a cul-de-sac in Dagenham where the items were transferred to a BMX X5 with a false number plate.

Wayne Byrne, 41, of Rush Green Road, Romford. (Image: Essex Police)

A third member of the gang, Lana Clayton, of Rayleigh Road, Woodford, then drove them away from the scene.

Clayton, 42, pleaded guilty to robbery, but Mansbridge and Byrne entered not guilty pleas to this offence.

Just over a week later, on January 2, 2022, the same BMW was used as a getaway vehicle for an armed robbery at a convenience store in Mawney Road, Romford.

Clayton scouted out the shop before Mansbridge and Byrne committed the robbery armed with a gun. They made off with cash and Clayton drove them away from the scene. All three pleaded guilty to this offence

Then on January 21 that year, Mansbridge terrorised supermarket staff with what appeared to be a gun, while Byrne brandished a knife during the raid in Gale Street, Dagenham.

James Mansbridge, 48, of Bond Street, Chelmsford (Image: Met Police)

They made off with cash and cigarettes.

Police were able to trace the BMW, which Clayton had bought four days earlier, despite its false plates and identified the trio, who were arrested in February 2022.

All three were sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court on May 19, 2023.

Mansbridge, 48, was jailed for eight and a half years and Byrne, 41, was jailed for eight years. Both had pleaded guilty to the two robberies.

Clayton was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment, suspended for two years.

Detective Constable Tom Boow of the Met’s Flying Squad said: “These two men are beginning jail terms amounting to more than 16 years.

“Both are convicted criminals who have shown no genuine remorse for their actions, with Mansbridge in particular having previously been jailed for armed robbery.

“The Flying Squad is dedicated to standing up to and arresting dangerous criminals and taking them off the streets, thus preventing further offences and in doing so making London safer for its law-abiding citizens.”