'Merciless' gang jailed for 117 years

Emmanuel de Silva (left) was jailed for 23 years

A gang of robbers who used lottery funding as a front for a carrying out armed robberies have been given jail sentences of more than 20 years each.

The gang were responsible for a number of "well planned and executed" robberies in the London area between January 2000 and May 2001.

Emmanuel de Silva set up a bogus charity named Buyaka which received a £5,000 grant to store Notting Hill carnival costumes in north London.

But Judge Timothy Pontius said the stores were a "safe house" for the gang to plan raids on banks, post offices and security vans using sawn-off shotguns, imitation guns, axes and iron bars.

'Real fear'

On Friday de Silva and five others were each given jail terms of up to 26 years.

The robbers were caught after an undercover police operation.

Judge Pontius said: "There can be no doubt that all the victims were put in very real fear of their lives."

The judge said it was his duty to pass sentences which would reflect the public concern about the use of guns to commit crime.

The court heard de Silva had served on the Kensington and Chelsea Independent Advisory Group advising police on stop and search laws.

He was jailed for 23 years for conspiracy to rob and a firearms offence.

'Horrifying brutality'

His nephew, Orson de Silva, 27, was jailed for 24 years for similar offences.

Antonio Bryan, 27, was jailed for 14 years for conspiracy and a further 12 years for a series of jewel robberies he committed with another gang who have not been caught.

The judge said Bryan had targeted wealthy people for their gems, and in some cases had subjected them to "merciless, horrifying brutality".

Bryan had admitted the jewel robberies, including robbing a woman of her £1m diamond ring, and had stolen other gems worth nearly £2m.

David Samuel, 22, was jailed for 14 years for his part in planning robberies with the de Silvas, and Keith Mason, 43, who acted as an inside man at a security firm, was jailed for 18 years.

Nathan John, 23, was jailed for 12 years and Ian Joseph, 29, was remanded in custody for reports.

The National Lottery Community Fund is holding an inquiry into the £5,000 grant given to Buyaka - in Jamaica, the word means the sound of gunshots.