JAILED: Brothers who blinded lone women with chilli powder to steal their phones in 'campaign of terror'
These brothers were beginning jail sentences totalling 13 years today for rubbing chilli powder into the eyes of lone women before snatching their mobile phones.
Kashif Ashraf, aged 34, and Khalid Ashraf, 28, laughed at one of their victims as they fled during what a judge called a campaign of terror.
Three women were injured in the robberies, which happened in and around Birmingham city centre.
June 21, 2014 - Islington Row, Middleway, 6.45pm. A woman, 23, was followed as she walked from Fiveways Island and into an underpass where the duo lay in wait.
Her phone was grabbed and as she screamed for help the pair knocked her glasses off and rubbed chilli powder into her eyes leaving her temporarily blinded and in a great deal of pain.
June 30 - 12.40pm. A woman, 18, using her phone outside the Marriot Hotel at Fiveways Island was targeted. One brother grabbed the phone, whiler the other rubbed chilli powder in her eyes.
June 30 - 5.30pm. A woman, 30, who was sat by Morrisons on the Hagley Road was targeted. When she refused to give up her handset, they scratched her hand and released the phone.
The pair, both of Portland Road, Smethwick, were jailed on Thursday at Birmingham Crown Court after they were found guilty of four street robberies.
Kashif was given six years and Khalid, seven years.
Dc Jamie Simon said: "On each occasion, the brothers targeted women who were on their own. They saw them using their phones and then lay in wait to attack them at an opportune moment.
"Three of the women were physically hurt during their ordeal particularly when the substance believed to be chilli powder was used.
"We believe this was a deliberate attempt by the brothers to try and mask their identity."
"Both cynically elected a trial, even though they both knew the weight of the evidence was against them.
"Neither showed any remorse throughout the trial or gave any thought to their victims who were all clearly left upset and traumatised.
"In summing up the trial, the judge described it as a short campaign of terror, targeted against vulnerable females, which was clearly planned and aggravated by the fact that chilli pepper was used as a weapon during two of the robberies."
At the time of the four robberies, Kashif Ashraf was already on bail over an attempted robbery on a lone woman.
He was found guilty of that offence in September last year. During a preliminary hearing, Kashif pleaded guilty to the 6 July robbery but maintained his innocence to the other three throughout the trial.
