A have-a-go-hero got into a car chase with three armed robbers who punched his girlfriend and threatened her with a knife.
His brave actions led to the men, Lamin Ngobeh, 21, Ronald Mugumbwe, 28, and Vin Che, 27, not getting away.
Now the trio, all from London, have been jailed for a combined total of 29 years.
The man, who has not been named, jumped into his car and drove after the robbers’ silver Vauxhall Vectra after they raided the home he shared with his girlfriend in Hangleton Road, Hove, during the evening of May 13 last year.
Canterbury Crown Court was told that his girlfriend heard a knocking at the door and looked through the peephole.
She thought she saw a girl and opened the door.
Actually it was Ngobeh, Mugumbwe and Che all bearing knives.
They repeatedly threatened her with knives, punched her, threatened her boyfriend and stole a laptop, iPad and cash.
They left and raced off towards Hardwick Road and onto Downland Drive.
Jail sentences
The robbers, in their silver car, crashed into the victim in his car at the bottom of Downland Drive at the junction with Downland Crescent.
At court on Tuesday, March 19, after being found guilty of robbery following a trial, Mugumbwe and Che were both jailed for ten years and Ngobeh was jailed for nine years.
Detective Constable Caroline Gridley, who led the investigation, said: “Police arrived at both the scene of the robbery and the crashed vehicle, which was recovered and forensically examined.
“Property belonging to both the victims and suspects was in the car and four men, including those who were subsequently charged, were arrested shortly after.
"I'm pleased that justice has been done and that three men are behind bars for their part in what was a terrifying incident for the victims.”
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