A "flawless" student who "lost the plot" and committed a string of terrifying street robberies is behind bars.

Zeshan Ramkhoda, 18, of Challis Road, Brentford, was the ruthless ringleader in five incidents where passersby were threatened during armed muggings with a knife, a bottle and a wooden post before being ordered to hand over cash and other valuables.

The teenager, a second-year business student at the Southall College, was charged with four robberies, including two where they held their victims’ prisoner, and one attempted robbery.

Ramkhoda was described as a bright student with a good future and a loving supportive family, by defence counsel Diane Buck. But she told Isleworth Crown Court he had "lost the plot".

However, as he passed sentence Judge Johnson said the offences had involved "gratuitous violence" and Ramkhoda was the ringleader.

The horrific string of attacks began on September 11 when Ramkhoda and another man pounced on 28-year-old Daniel Cavey as he waited by a bus stop just after midnight.

Prosecutor James Edenborough said: “Mr Cavey was walking to the bus stop in Vicarage Road in Hounslow. Someone pulled his jumper and he was grabbed from behind and he was dragged into the alleyway. He saw two men.

“The defendant punched him continuously and the second man hit Mr Cavey with a wooden post on the head. Mr Cavey went to the floor and whilst he was on the floor he was kicked and punched on his left cheek by both Mr Ramkhoda and the other male.”

Mr Cavey was robbed of a ring, a mobile phone, cash and a bankcard and has moved out of the area since the incident.

The next day Ramkhoda was one of three yobs who robbed a 27-year-old man in Ravensdale Road, stealing his mobile phone and ordering him to give his bank card pin number.

After being kneed in the crotch, Harjeet Benipal, was threatened with a piece of wood in a frightening ordeal that lasted 40 minutes.

The teenage robber was then involved in two robberies and one attempted robbery overnight on September 17.

During the last incident, Ramkhoda and another youth targeted Madhur Sharma, who was threatened with a knife.

Mr Edenborough said: “Mr Ramkhoda grabbed him by the throat and punched him in the face and placed a knife into his back.

“He felt the knife pinch his skin. He described the knife as five or six inches in length, bladed, with a serrated edge.”

The pair then went through his pockets and demanded the bank card pin number and "threatened to kill him if he gave them the wrong number".

Urging the judge to be lenient and give a suspended sentence, defence counsel Diane Buck said: “He is a very intelligent young man, he has done very well and he has had a very solid upbringing, a very supportive upbringing. He looked like he would have a very solid future but for this sudden blip in his, perfect, up until this point, character.”

Judge Johnson said: “You can be classed a ringleader, there was no question of you holding back. You adopted very serious violent attacks on young people, who were alone. There was an aggravating feature on at least two of these robberies, further restraint, where you kept your victim prisoner while you or one of your associates went to a cash-point to extract money. It is clear to me that all these offences were planned.”

Ramkhoda was sentenced to six years in a young offenders' institution after admitting four counts of robbery and one count of attempted robbery.

Speaking after thea hearing, Detective Constable Sunny Banerjee, who led the investigation, said: "The six years jail sentence should be a warning to all those involved in violent and similar crimes.

"Hounslow police will not tolerate any person committing these crimes and we will endeavor to do our best to bring those who do to justice.

"This man has paid the price for committing street robberies which have not only affected our victims but also upset his family."