London’s ‘most notorious phone thief’ admits handling stolen goods from £500,000 ram raid spree in the West End

London’s ‘most notorious phone thief’ has admitted handling stolen goods during a £500,000 burglary and snatching spree in the capital’s West End.

In 2024, 30-year-old Sonny Stringer was sentenced to two years in prison for riding his e-bike at speeds of up to 50 miles per hour and ringing only 24 phones in one morning.

At Inner London Crown Court today, Stringer admitted handling stolen goods after a gang stole £500,000 worth of luxury items in a series of raids.

Thieves wearing balaclavas were spotted clearing the shelves of Yves Saint Laurent on Old Bond Street in the early hours of January 23.

Thieves used a black Toyota SUV to smash the store’s front window and steal high-value handbags worth £30,000 a piece.

Ryan Brough, 32, and Max Tyson, 25, were arrested later the same day and have since pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit robbery.

Stringer admitted to handling stolen goods in connection with the theft of goods from Bottega Veneta on Old Bond Street on November 17, 2025.

The charge also relates to goods stolen from luxury Italian fashion brand Loro Piana near Harrods on December 16.

Prosecutor Michael Bisgrove said Stringer was not involved in the raids but knew they would take place.

Stringer, from Islington, faces a prison sentence after the conclusion of the trial of two other men involved in burglaries earlier this year.

Thieves stole £500,000 worth of designer goods during a series of “smash and grab” raids on luxury London retailers such as Yves Saint Laurent on Bond Street (pictured), a court heard.

Tyson and Brough, also from Islington, previously admitted two counts of conspiring to steal between November 11 and January 24.

At an earlier hearing, prosecutor Gitana Megvine said the offenses related to a series of ‘high value thefts and extortion commercial thefts’.

Five raids were carried out, with a stolen car being driven from Islington to central London along with mopeds and high-powered E-bikes.

Ms Megvine said: ‘Each of the offenses involved a stolen vehicle being deliberately reversed through the windows of the building.

‘The suspects enter the store and steal as many items on display as possible before leaving the scene.

‘The total value of the stolen property now exceeds £500,000.

‘The full cost of the damage caused has not yet been determined, but we believe it runs into hundreds of thousands of pounds.’

Detectives from the Met’s elite Flying Squad had been investigating a series of raids on luxury retailers for months.