A man who posed as an Amazon delivery driver before lunging at a homeowner with a loaded sawn-off shotgun has been jailed.
Vincente Forde, 32, knocked on the door of his victim’s home in Crystal Palace Road, Crystal Palace, dressed in a high-vis jacket carrying an Amazon-labelled parcel.
Forde, of Gavestone Road, Greenwich, put the package down and launched himself at the male victim when he heard the door opening.
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Vincente Forde has been jailed
(Image: MPS)
At the same time, he retrieved a shotgun that he had concealed inside his jacket and aimed it towards the door.
The victim, who had been at home with his young daughter and was on the phone to a friend at the time, reacted by grabbing hold of the gun and tried to disarm Forde.
Forde allegedly told the victim to let go of the gun or he would be stabbed.
After sustaining several punches, the victim managed to prise the shotgun out of Forde’s grip and threw it under a nearby parked car, disarming him.
A number of members of the public, including some men who were doing building work nearby, helped restrain Forde.
Police were called and officers found firearm was loaded with two live cartridges.
The loaded shotgun Forde used to carry out the attack
(Image: MPS)
Forde was arrested and taken into custody, while the victim was taken to a South London hospital for treatment for bruising and a broken nose.
Detectives investigating the attack, which happened at around 10am on July 13, 2020, charged Forde with possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, possession of a prohibited weapon and possession of a firearm by a person prohibited.
On Thursday (July 29) Forde was sentenced to six years and nine months in jail at Croydon Crown Court, and the firearm used in the incident was ordered to be destroyed.
Andrew Caird, from the CPS, said: “This was a completely unprovoked attack on an innocent householder. The victim simply opened his front door to retrieve what he thought was a delivery before a stranger aggressively set upon him.
“The prosecution case included strong witness testimony and video footage from a doorbell camera which showed much of the incident and left Forde with little choice but to admit his violent actions.
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“Given that the shotgun had been loaded, it is incredibly lucky that nobody was fatally injured.”
Detective Constable Imran Hansraj, of the Specialist Crime Command, said: “Vicente Forde’s sentencing has removed him from the streets for a substantial amount of time, and I’ve no doubt that London will be all the safer for it.
“The victim had no idea what was about to unfold when he saw what he thought was a delivery man bringing a parcel to his address. He had been home with his young daughter and was going about his business as usual when he was thrust into an incredibly frightening ordeal in which he fought for his life.
“His life was turned upside down in a split second by Forde’s actions, which were wicked and cowardly in the extreme. He was disguised and armed with a lethal weapon but the victim displayed incredibly bravery to disarm him. He was lucky that a number of members of the public took heed of his cries for help and came to his aid. They too deserve enormous recognition.”
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https://www.mylondon.news/news/south-london-news/greenwich-thug-posed-amazon-delivery-21177496
