Balaclava-clad thugs surrounded a tourist and hit him with a stun gun before demanding his £100,000 Rolex watch.

Ronnie Fitzgerald, 20, of Valence Avenue, Romford, and Thomas Lenaghan, 24, of Rylston Road, Fulham, targeted three US visitors in Chelsea in a terrifying night-time mugging.

Despite wearing black and driving a stolen car with false number plates, they were tracked down after a joint investigation by the Met’s Flying Squad and Westminster Robbery Squad.

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Fitzgerald, 20, and Lenaghan, 24, and were each sentenced to six years, nine months’ imprisonment for conspiracy to rob, threatening a person with a bladed article in a public place, possession of a stun gun and threatening a person with a stun gun.

They had both pleaded guilty to all offences on October 5, 2022.

A third man, John Stovell, 51, of North End Road, West Kensington, was jailed for 18 months having pleaded guilty to handling stolen goods and assisting an offender.

Romford Recorder: Ronnie Fitzgerald, 20, of Valence Avenue, Romford, was jailed for six years and nine months for the Rolex robberyRonnie Fitzgerald, 20, of Valence Avenue, Romford, was jailed for six years and nine months for the Rolex robbery (Image: Met Police)

The three victims were crossing Pavilion Road in Chelsea at around 12.15am on November 16, 2021, when they were approached by a group dressed in black and wearing balaclavas.

One of the victims, aged 31, was pushed to the floor and hit from behind with a stun gun.

The suspects surrounded him and demanded he hand over his Rolex watch, worth around £100,000.

The robbers threatened his father with a knife, cutting through his coat as he tried to stop the attack but not injuring him.

Their friend was also threatened with a stun gun and forced to hand over her watch, worth around £200.

The suspects then sped off in a waiting car.

Romford Recorder: The stolen Jaguar F-PACE was identified from the sticker in its windscreenThe stolen Jaguar F-PACE was identified from the sticker in its windscreen (Image: Met Police)

Despite the attack being caught on several CCTV cameras and captured on mobile phones, the robbers were not identifiable.

The car they were using, a Jaguar F-PACE, was stolen and displaying false plates.

But detectives from the Met’s Flying Squad spotted a small sticker on the bottom right corner of the car's windscreen.

Romford Recorder: Thomas Lenaghan, 24, of Rylston Road, Fulham, was jailed for the Rolex robberyThomas Lenaghan, 24, of Rylston Road, Fulham, was jailed for the Rolex robbery (Image: Met Police)

By asking owners of recently stolen Jaguar F-PACEs for identifying features, they learned that one had a parking permit for their child’s school – matching the sticker on the windscreen.

Detectives were now able to piece together where the car had been before and after the robbery, working through CCTV to footage capturing the robbers meeting without masks.

The photos were circulated and led to the identification of Lenaghan, Stovell and Fitzgerald.

Romford Recorder: John Stovell, 51, of North End Road, West Kensington, was jailed for 18 months for handling stolen goods and assisting an offenderJohn Stovell, 51, of North End Road, West Kensington, was jailed for 18 months for handling stolen goods and assisting an offender (Image: Met Police)

The car was found in a car park in North End Road, Earls Court, and forensic examination linked the men to the vehicle.

Detective Constable Robert Rodak, who worked on the investigation, said: “This was a shocking and violent robbery which understandably left the victims shaken and feeling incredibly fortunate they did not suffer more serious injury.

“This conviction was a result of a joint effort where our local team was assisted by the specialist skills of the Flying Squad to catch those responsible. Working together we will continue to target and relentlessly pursue robbers who commit violent crime in London.”