Keith Bramble was sentenced to 10-and-a-half years

Haringey is “a safer place” after a notorious career criminal who embarked on a violent robbery spree was jailed for more than 10 years.

Keith Bramble, of Carlton Road, Stroud Green, was found guilty of three counts of robbery, two counts of assault and possessing a crowbar following a night of violence in Stroud Green and Finsbury Park on November 30 last year.

Wood Green Crown Court had previously heard how Bramble, 52, had been caught after officers tracked a mobile phone he had stolen with the help of an App downloaded by his first victim.

Bramble – who was only released from prison in 2008 after serving half of a 27-year sentence for a spate of more than 100 burglaries in the 90s, during which he wore a “highwayman’s mask – stole the woman’s bag and the £500 iPhone as she walked along n Cornwall Road, Stroud Green, at about 5.50pm.

She then returned home and told her partner who, along with an off-duty police officer, chased Bramble into Parkland Walk.

The court was told the partner then saw a silhouette of the defendant and they both rugby tackled each other; the victim then got hit on the back and on the head. He then realised Bramble had a metal pole.

Meanwhile, Bramble had turned his attention to the off-duty police officer, who had tripped and fallen down. Bramble then sat astride his chest and hit him repeatedly with the rusty, brown pole, whilst shouting “I am going to kill you”. He squeezed his neck, poked his eyes with his fingers.

Bramble only got off after he was kicked by the first man. He then ran away.

When officers arrived at the scene, they discovered the woman’s phone had a tracking app – which was then tracked to a barbers shop on Seven Sisters Road.

CCTV seized later showed Bramble entering the shop and exchanging the woman’s phone for cash.

Bramble was later stopped in Upper Tollington Park Road at about 10pm that night by officers noticed him in a nervous state, with scratches on his face, and matching the description provided by the witnesses.

While in custody, Bramble was further arrested on suspicion of violently robbing a 51-year-old woman of her Blackberry phone and a 32-year-old woman of her bag in Evershot Road, Islington, just half-an-hour after the first robbery.

The two women had been walking together when Bramble punched and pushed them to the ground, running off with their bags. Bramble dropped the bags when confronted by a passing cyclist and continued to run.

Bramble is now set to spend the next 10 years and six months behind bars

Haringey Borough Commander Sandra Looby said the conviction was the result of a “great team effort between the community, police, and technology”, praising the two men’s willingness to help in spite of the risks.

She added: “I am pleased that a violent offender has been brought to justice - making both Haringey and Islington safer.”