Belvedere armed robbers sentenced to over 11 years for shop raids and cocaine supply

Two men from Crayford have been sentenced to a total of more than 22 years in prison for armed robberies in Belvedere and their roles in supplying cocaine. Alexander Emmerich, 28, received 14 years and 3 months, while Stephen Hand, 29, was jailed for 10 years. Both sentences were handed down at Woolwich Crown Court on 30 July 2026.

Emmerich and Hand used a handgun to rob a shop on Gilbert Lane, Belvedere, twice in January 2025. They were arrested later that month while fleeing a vape shop on Stanhope Road, Swanscombe, after a third attempted robbery. Police found evidence linking both men to cocaine supply during the investigation.

Drug debt led to armed robberies, court hears

Prosecutor Simon Foster told the court that messages recovered from the men’s phones revealed Emmerich was heavily involved in cocaine supply. Hand, who was a user of the drug, had fallen into debt to Emmerich after taking cocaine he was supposed to sell. Foster said Hand was referred to as Emmerich’s "worker" in the messages.

In one message, Emmerich warned Hand about his debt. Ben Wild, representing Hand, said his client was determined to address his addiction. Wild told the court that Hand’s ambition after prison was "to get a job and stay off of drugs".

Jon Mitchell, mitigating for Emmerich, said his client had turned to drug dealing to provide financially for his son. Judge Martin Yale noted that Hand had appeared unhappy working for Emmerich but was compelled to do so to repay his debt.

Sentences to run consecutively

Judge Yale sentenced Hand to one year in prison for cocaine supply and Emmerich to two years and three months for the same offence. These terms will be served consecutively to their robbery sentences. Emmerich’s total sentence is 14 years and 3 months, while Hand’s is 10 years.

The court heard that both men had previously lived on Thames Road in Crayford. Their guilty pleas to conspiracy to commit robbery were accepted last November, when Emmerich was sentenced to 11 years and 9 months and Hand to nine years. The additional sentences for drug offences were imposed on 30 July 2026.

What happens next

Both men are now serving their sentences. There is no indication of an appeal. The Crown Prosecution Service has not commented on whether further charges will be brought against others linked to the cocaine supply operation, including a woman named Hannah Sims, who was also involved.