Duo posed as supercar buyers before launching Kirkby armed robbery attempt

Two men have been locked up after holding a family at gunpoint during a failed attempt to steal a Ferrari.

Mohammed Ali and Muhamed Juwara struck up a plan to take the supercar after spotting online that it was up for sale.

After contacting the owner and feigning interest in buying the Ferrari, the duo were invited to the man’s home to view it.

Both Ali and Juwara attended the house in Kirkby-in-Ashfield on 20 September 2022, where they agreed a deal to buy the car.

This was all a ruse, however, with Ali instead pointing a gun at the unsuspecting victim, who was then ordered to put on handcuffs.

A struggle ensued before this could happen however, as the man and his partner, who was also in the house, fought back, with the woman hitting the intruders with a vase.

Ali then snatched the woman's phone before she was able to call the police, with the commotion waking up a child upstairs. 

At that point, the duo fled from the scene having failed to take the Ferrari but with the woman’s phone still in their possession.

Juwara and Ali – who had been threatening the couple with an imitation firearm – also left a set of handcuffs, duct tape and ball bearings behind at the house.

A team of detectives responded to the 999 call that followed, before supporting the victims, gathering evidence and working around the clock to locate the suspects.

Their work led to several warrants being carried out in the West Yorkshire area, which resulted in two arrests within 48 hours of the incident.

The investigation also resulted in officers implicating Ali for a separate but similar offence in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, on 28 July 2022.

Once again, the 39-year-old got in touch with his victim under the pretence of wanting to buy a high-value car – this time a Lamborghini.

Acting alone this time, Ali conned his way into the man’s home and again appeared to have agreed to buy the vehicle before suddenly pulling out a firearm.

The victim was then put in handcuffs and attempts were made to bind his legs, before Ali forced the man at gunpoint to transfer thousands of pounds worth of cash to him. 

After receiving the funds, the robber made the man leave with him – initially threatening to bundle him into the boot of his car before eventually letting him sit in the passenger seat. 

Ali then drove to a residential estate in Stafford, Staffordshire, where he let the man get out before driving off.

During the kidnapping, Ali took a photo of the man while he was tied up and saved it on his phone.

This would eventually lead to him being implicated for this incident when Nottinghamshire officers discovered the image while examining the device for evidence.

Ali was charged with two counts of robbery, kidnap, attempted robbery and two counts of having an imitation firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence.

He pleaded guilty to each of the charges, except for one of the robberies, which he was later found guilty of.

Juwara, 20, meanwhile, was charged with attempted robbery, which he later admitted to in court.

Both men appeared at Nottingham Crown Court for sentencing on Friday (5 January).

Ali, of Willow Brook Manor, Wakefield, was jailed for 18 years.

Juwara, of Bayswater Road, Leeds, was sentenced to nine years in a young offenders’ institution.

PC Hollie Fothergill, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: "Ali and Juwara put their victims through what must have been a terrifying ordeal.

"The duo managed to con their way into a family home under the pretence of buying a high-value car that they never had any intention of paying for. 

"While their actual aim to steal the car was ultimately unsuccessful, the men did take the woman's phone – all while threatening to hurt the couple with what looked like a real gun. 

"This wasn't an isolated incident for Ali though, who actually used the same tactic on another car seller less than two months earlier, before this time kidnapping them. 

"Thanks to a comprehensive investigation led by our officers, we were able to ensure neither Ali or Juwara got away with the Nottinghamshire armed robbery attempt, while also implicating Ali for the kidnapping in Gloucestershire too.  

"A lot of teamwork went into identifying these two men and gathering the evidence needed to bring them before the courts, so we're pleased to see they've both now been sentenced to time behind bars."