'Predatory, vicious' brothers jailed for life

A "ruthless, predatory and vicious" serial mugger who throttled and robbed victims, including designer Nicole Farhi, has been jailed for life with a minimum of 14 years.

Daniel Mykoo, of Fulham, southwest London, showed no emotion as he was sentenced for 84 robberies which were driven by an addiction to crack cocaine.

His brother Matthew, 27, of Brent, north London, was given an indeterminate life sentence with a minimum of nine years for nine counts of robbery. Passing sentence Judge Nicholas Browne QC said the robberies were the "worst I have ever encountered" and told Daniel Mykoo: "You are the most prolific violent robber to be sentenced in London in recent years."

Addressing both brothers, the judge said: "You have committed strangulation robberies which are in a league of their own. Your offending pattern was ruthless, predatory and vicious. That you were both high on crack cocaine is no excuse. It is by sheer good fortune that you did not kill, permanently injure or maim any one of your many victims."

The pair used "terrifying, sudden violence", the judge said, in a series of attacks on lone women and one man in wealthy areas of London. Their victims were strangled from behind before they were robbed of valuables.

Judge Browne said: "Within seconds of the attack, the vast majority of your victims were rendered unconscious. "Time and again women have described to me their thoughts of immediate death as they lapsed into unconsciousness. Some were unconscious for a few seconds, others for several minutes.

"You threatened to kill or maim many victims when they resisted."

In some cases they threatened to cut victims' fingers off if rings could not easily be removed.

Daniel Mykoo admitted 19 robberies and asked for 65 others dating back 10 years to be taken into account. Two of these were on elderly women - he strangled an 84-year-old and put his fingers down her throat in one attack.

The siblings carried out a string of attacks, including eight as a pair, and their most recent prolific spell was between March and June last year.

During that time, Daniel Mykoo, of Fulham Court, strangled Ms Farhi until she blacked out outside her Hampstead home. He took a ring, her Rolex watch and cash.

Describing the attack, she told the court: "One hand came on to my eyes, the other on to my throat. He squeezed and I fainted. My last thought was 'How stupid to die in front of my house'."

Speaking outside Wood Green Crown Court, victim Laura Holt said the streets were safer now the pair are behind bars. She was attacked in the car park of the school where she worked in St John's Wood, northwest London.

"You don't really have any feelings at the time, you just focus on the fact that you can't breathe," she said.

"Not being able to breathe is probably the most terrifying aspect of the whole thing. I'm very grateful for the fact that I don't live in London. I'm very cautious about walking around on my own anywhere. Today was very difficult, probably more difficult than when I gave evidence originally. I think because I was in a position in the courtroom where I could see them and they could see me, it was very intimidating. I think they are in the right place now."

The Mykoos would pick on targets they thought were wealthy and in some of the cases victims were followed for miles before they were robbed.

Judge Browne said some of their lives "permanently changed" after the attacks. One moved house, another changed job and a number now employ security guards at night. He said the effect on victims was "summarised" by BBC reporter Sangita Myska, who said: "These men robbed me of more than my wedding and engagement rings, they stole my confidence."