Close friend of Princes William and Harry, Thomas Van Straubenzee, was mugged last November in Battersea while in the middle of a chat with the younger prince. Because the BlackBerry and Nokia contained highly confidential royal family numbers, Mr. Plod went into overdrive on this one. No stone or phone was left unturned.
Today, 27-year-old Wilful Taylor of nearby Stockwell went down for two years for the crime. Not to worry, though, he is already serving an 18-month sentence for a mugging in Hyde Park. His defence counsel obviously had a sense of humour when claiming mitigation:
Before the last offence my client has not committed a crime punishable by prison since 2007.
Poor Wilful and his unknown accomplice had the misfortune to attack “Prince Harry’s closest friend.” I can’t help feeling he wouldn’t have been caught so speedily, if at all, if he’d nicked my 4S.
by Mike Evans, 21 August 2012
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