A taser gang – headed by a Canterbury university student – hatched a plot to rob motorists by luring them with offers of cut-price cars.

Richie Mansende, 20, advertised them on the internet site gumtree.com at a price well below market values and urged potential buyers to bring cash.

He and two others then took them to remote areas of the city – and used a taser gun to rob one of the victims.

Mansende, who was living in student digs on the university campus while studying electrical engineering, has now been sent to a young offenders' institution for four years for his part in the violent robbery of three victims and possessing a prohibited weapon.

Alice Dobbie, prosecuting, told Canterbury Crown Court that in March last year, Mansende advertised a car for sale on the site.

"The car was advertised well below market value, making it very attractive to potential buyers and when someone showed any interest they were invited to come to Canterbury to collect the car and bring the money.

"When they arrived they would be ushered into a desolate area and attacked by three men, including Mansende," she added.

The first victim, Wayne Vidler, was enticed to the city when he was looking to buy a car for his girlfriend.

“He looked on Gumtree, liked the look of the car which had a very good price for the model and its year. The buyer called himself Oliver and gave a mobile telephone number. Oliver was Mansende, “ said the prosecutor.

Mr Vidler arrived at 5pm expecting to view the car and was told by Mansende that the vehicle was parked near the rail station.

“After a few minutes they came to a rail bridge when Mr Vidler spotted two other men following them. One of them jumped onto his back and he then felt an electric shock.

“He was then kicked in the head as he heard Mansende shout ‘tase him properly’.

The weapon was then placed to the victim’s neck and used, “ the court heard.
The three then started shouting: “Where’s the money? You must have the money you came to buy the car’.

But after searching Mr Vidler they escaped with a small amount of cash and his mobile phone.

Two hours later the gang struck again, luring victims Mohammed Sameem and Mohammed Uvial to Canterbury by train to buy the car, which had been advertised for £1,300, for an agreed price of £1,000.

This time the two were met by Mansende who took then on a short journey in another car and then he stopped where two others were waiting, one armed with a wheel brace.

Mr Sameem was told by one of the robbers: “If you struggle I will kill you” before being struck twice over the head. He then handed over the cash, an iPhone and Mr Uvial’s wallet.

The three men then ran off when a look-out shouted a warning that someone was coming.

Police later found the taser weapon hidden under Mansende’s bed at his student digs.

Judge Adele Williams: “These offences were quite deliberate and had some degree of sophistication. You lured people to Canterbury with cash so that they could be robbed with the use of violence.

“It’s a tragedy that you were pursuing a full-time education when you committed these offences.”