A MAN denied taking part in an armed raid – but was rumbled after he wrote about it in his diary.
In a damning entry on the day of the robbery, Jonathan Ochola, 21, had jotted: “Go Portsmouth robbery happens.”
His pal Rashad Delawala had already admitted threatening staff at a bookmakers with an imitation firearm.
But student Ochola told police he was at home watching football with his brother at the time. In fact he was the getaway driver and the pair had split the £500 takings.
Police traced the robbers after Delawala dropped a balaclava with his DNA on it and were amazed when they saw Ochola’s diary.
Det Con Mel Sinclair said: “When we found the diary we thought it was unusual. You don’t normally get such a good piece of evidence like that. But he was foolish enough to put it in and he said in his interview that it was stupid.” Faced with the damning evidence, Ochola tried to blame it on his friend.
He told the court the two of them had set off from Essex to go clubbing in Bournemouth, but got lost and ended up in Portsmouth.
He claimed he had gone into a Co-op convenience shop to buy cigarettes and sweets and when he got back to his car Delawala, 21, had gone to carry out the raid.
After his arrest Ochola admitted to police that during the drive Delawala had spoken about robbing a Ladbrokes but insisted he did not take him seriously.
Det Con Sinclair said: “These two have shown absolutely no remorse – they did not care about the effect on their victims. The staff in the shop thought it was a real gun and were shaken up.”
Ochola, from Dagenham, Essex, was found guilty by a jury at Portsmouth crown court after denying robbery.
Delawala, of llford, Essex, pleaded guilty to robbery. He is due to be sentenced with Ochola later this month. Both men were released on bail.
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