A man who messaged unwitting victims on Gumtree before forcibly stealing their phones has been sentenced to prison. Blake Aghedo once used a screwdriver to stab a man in his 60s in the face in order to take his phone. A number of victims filed police reports alleging that after listing their phones for sale on the used-goods marketplace Gumtree, Aghedo physically robbed them when they met to complete the purchase. This led to the discovery of Aghedo's crimes. The 23-year-old sent messages to the victims while posing as a genuine buyer interested in selling the phone.
A cost and meeting location would be decided upon before beginning the transaction. Aghedo would then rob the victims, frequently using firearms. He once used a machete when one of the victims resisted, and he also used a screwdriver-style weapon to stab a guy in his 60s in the face.
A total of 40 occurrences involving similar robberies were reported to the police. Aghedo was observed on CCTV, which led to the investigation's tracking and arrest in 2020. Aghedo, of Lower Seedley Road in Salford, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to rob, conspiracy to steal, theft, robbery, possession of a bladed article, attempted theft, and wounding on June 22 and was given a six-year prison sentence.
The City of Manchester Central Neighbourhood Crime Team of GMP's Detective Inspector Natalie McDonald stated: "Aghedo had a clear set-up, preparing the offenses carefully. It is understandable that these events traumatized the victims. This demonstrates the lengths we go to in our investigations; regardless of how well-organized or intelligent the group or individual may be, we will conduct a comprehensive investigation and imprison violators.
As we worked diligently to piece together various pieces of evidence to build a timeline of events, we would like to express our gratitude to the victims who bravely came forward and helped our investigation throughout, as well as the officers who contributed over the last three years - their hard work and continued dedication do not go unnoticed and has ensured that dangerous criminals are now off our streets. Additionally, I'd want to use this opportunity to caution the public about unreasonably low prices, brand-new accounts on marketplaces for secondhand goods, and demands that all payments be made in cash and that items be picked up in person.
If customers do decide to proceed with a deal, they should avoid meeting the vendor in dark or secluded regions, travel alone, and do not accept the item instantly." Following the court, a Gumtree spokeswoman stated, "At Gumtree, we do not tolerate bad actors using our platform, and we were pleased to support Greater Manchester Police in helping secure this conviction."
The security of our clients is our outright need, and our committed wellbeing group works intimately with policing guard our local area." A representative for Gumtree said: " We were pleased to assist Greater Manchester Police in securing this conviction because we at Gumtree do not accept the use of our platform by criminals. The security of our clients is our outright need, and our devoted well-being group works intimately with policing to protect our local area."
