A knifepoint robber, who threatened a mother and pregnant lady, targeted shops across north and east London during a two-month spree has been jailed.

Kevin Brandy, 50, of Harbridge Avenue in Wandsworth, was sentenced to 12 years’ in prison, with an extended licence period of five years at Wood Green Crown Court on Friday, October 12, after admitting to ten counts of robbery and 13 counts of possession of an offensive weapon.

The charges relates to offences committed between March and May 2018.

In each case, Brandy – wearing either a hood, balaclava, went into a shop, approached a female shopworker or a customer and threatened them with a knife before demanding money. He often marched the victims to a toilet or back area of the shop before making off.

His first robbery took place on March 28 at a nail bar on Hollway Road. He stole the contents of a moneybox and £35 from a handbag. He lock the victim in a bathroom, where she was found by her co-worker.

On April 9, he threatened two shopworkers at a women's clothing store in Shoreditch before stealing £200 from the till. Two days later he stole another £200 from a clothing store in the Hoxton area.

On April 27, Brandy pointed a knife at the stomach of a pregnant lady in a beauty salon on Holloway Road, where he stole £80 from the till. Three days later he stole £20, a bag and mobile phone from a nail bar in Shoreditch.

Between May 5 and May 11, Brandy robbed a further five stores, stealing a total of £420 in cash. During these he threated a customer by holding a knife to her neck as well as a mother with a young baby.

Hackney officers from the Central East Command Unit investigated the linked offences. The victims were able to give descriptions of the suspects which were consistent – he was either wearing a dark green jacket with a fur-trimmed hood, or dark shorts and a dark hooded top.

Detectives were able to identify an unregistered Oyster Card used by Brandy to travel to and from his victims’ businesses and on 14 May 2018 Brandy was arrested in Putney while topping up the Oyster Card. He was in possession of a rucksack with three Stanley knives inside.

DC Angus Handley, who led the investigation for Hackney CID, said: “Brandy was extremely brazen and did not hesitate to threaten violence during these robberies, deliberately targeting shops with female staff and customers.

"In each case, he made off with a small amount of money but inflicted serious trauma on his victims who have been extremely brave since their ordeals and in cooperating with police, giving all-important information about the suspect.

“Such was the callousness of his offending, amongst the victims were a pregnant woman who had a knife held to her stomach, and a woman with a young baby who was frogmarched to the back of a store at knifepoint.

“The judge, in handing down his sentence, called Brandy a “cowardly career criminal” and imposed an extended sentence for these appalling offences.”