Violent Rolex robber caught by controversial AI tech jailed for eight years

A violent Rolex robber who stabbed a man and left him with life-changing injuries has been jailed for eight years after being snared by police using facial recognition software. Metropolitan Police officers were alerted to wanted man Adenola Akindutire, 22, when he strolled past a camera in operation in Stratford, east London. Force chiefs say that without the controversial technology being in place, Akindutire may have remained at large, posing a continued threat to the public.

Despite producing false identity documents and distorting his voice when he was stopped, officers were able to dispel his account and reveal his true identity due to the AI technology. Akindutire, who was arrested in April, had been wanted since January after he robbed a man at knifepoint.

The Met say the case is another example of how Live Facial Recognition (LFR) is protecting communities by helping officers take dangerous offenders off the streets of London.

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 a number of months before the cameras caught up with him. The violent offender will now spend the next eight years behind bars, reflecting on his actions.

"I hope this sentence provides a sense of justice to the victim, while showing the value in 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 up with a seller in the Hayes area of west London on Friday, January 10.

Upon meeting, Akindutire attacked the seller with a knife and stole the watch. The victim, a man in his 30s, sustained life-changing injuries.

Akindutire fled the scene and travelled to Ireland following the incident. As part of enquiries following the robbery, officers also linked him to a similar incident which had taken place in December 2024. He had robbed a man for another Rolex watch. Akindutire was circulated as wanted by officers but traditional means failed to catch him.

While wanted, it is understood that Akindutire then travelled back to the United Kingdom using fake documentation, before walking past the LFR cameras in Stratford months later. Following the LFR stop, Akindutire was arrested and subsequently charged with robbery, attempted robbery, grievous bodily harm, possession of a false identity document, two counts of possession of a bladed article.

He pleaded guilty at Isleworth Crown Court on Wednesday, May 14.

On Wednesday, November 5 Akindutire was sentenced to eight years and six months' imprisonment at the same court.