Violent Rolex robber caught by controversial AI tech jailed for eight years | UK | News
A violent Rolex robber who stabbed a man and left him with life-changing injuries has been jailed for eight years after he was trapped by police using facial recognition software. Metropolitan Police officers were alerted to wanted Adenola Akindutire, 22, when he passed an operational camera in Stratford, east London. Force chiefs say Akindutire could have broken free and posed a continuing threat to the public had the controversial technology not been available.
Despite producing false identity documents and distorting his voice when stopped, officers were able to disprove his account and reveal his true identity thanks to artificial intelligence technology. Akindutire, who was arrested in April, had been wanted since January for robbing a man at knifepoint.
The Met says this incident is another example of how Live Facial Recognition (LFR) is protecting communities by helping officers remove dangerous criminals from London’s streets.
Detective Constable Jonathan Mitchell, who led the investigation, said: “This is Live Facial Recognition in action and shows how our use of this technology is making London safer.
“Akindutire had been wanted for several months before the cameras captured him. The violent attacker will now spend the next eight years behind bars with repercussions for his actions.
“I hope this sentence provides a sense of justice to the victim while also demonstrating the value of this tool in protecting the public from harm.”
In January, Akindutire used Facebook Marketplace to pose as a Rolex watch buyer. He then arranged to meet a dealer in the Hayes area of west London on Friday, January 10.
After the meeting, Akindutire attacked the seller with a knife and stole the watch. The victim, a man in his 30s, suffered life-changing injuries.
Akindutire fled the scene and went to Ireland following the incident. As part of investigations following the robbery, officers also linked him to a similar incident that occurred in December 2024. He robbed a man for another Rolex watch. Akindutire was paraded around as wanted by officers but conventional methods failed to capture him.
Akindutire is understood to have returned to the UK using forged documents while being sought, and months later passed by LFR cameras in Stratford. Following the LFR stop, Akindutire was arrested and subsequently charged with robbery, attempted robbery, grievous bodily harm, possession of a false identity document and two counts of possession of a bladed instrument.
He pleaded guilty at Isleworth Crown Court on Wednesday, May 14.
On Wednesday, November 5, Akindutire was sentenced to eight years and six months in prison in the same court.
