Mark Toth, 37, of Shrewsbury Street, Kensington, was sentenced to ten years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery and remaining unlawfully at large on Friday, 1 April. On Friday, June 17, he was sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court.

Toth is the final robbery offender to be sentenced. He fled to Spain after learning of the arrests of his two male co-offenders, both of whom were sentenced to prison in May 2020.

Toth was apprehended by the Met’s Violent Crime Taskforce on Friday, 25 February, when he returned to England for a funeral. Officers spotted him in photos posted on social media. He was discovered in an Ealing hotel room on Hanger Lane.

Toth screamed “I’m unarmed” when he was arrested, and when police entered the hotel room with a swipe key, with help from the staff, he unsuccessfully attempted to break his phone in half before being placed in handcuffs.

Two men on a moped threatened the victim, a woman in her fifties. During the incident, an axe was held against her neck, and she was forced to the ground in a headlock.

Toth then attempted to strangle the victim while she was on the pavement, and he removed her £25,000 Rolex Daytona watch as bystanders looked on in horror.

Fortunately, the victim did not sustain any serious physical injuries. The stolen watch has yet to be found.

Detectives from the Central West Basic Command Unit’s robbery team conducted the initial investigation into the robbery.

The third offender was apprehended on the day of the robbery after attempting to move a car that officers knew belonged to the suspects and was parked near the scene of the crime. Eight days later, his co-defendant was apprehended.

“This man has finally been jailed for this terrifying robbery,” said Detective Constable Peta Lundgren, who led the investigation.

“The three suspects were quickly identified, and two were apprehended shortly after the attack.” However, despite being identified, Toth eluded police by fleeing the country after learning of their arrests.

“This sentence should serve as a warning to anyone involved in serious criminality; we will investigate and use every tool available to find and prosecute you.”

“We would like to thank the victim once more for her cooperation during the investigation and to recognise her courage and bravery.”