A FORMER professional boxer has been jailed for robbing two people, burgling a house and stealing a car.

Preston Crown Court heard Ali Shah, from Blackburn, committed a series of serious offences between November 15 and December 5 last year.

During the three-week period the 31-year-old robbed two people, stole a £35,000 Range Rover and burgled a house in Blackburn.

The court heard Shah, who boasted of only robbing drug dealers, and three other men had threatened two men who were parked up in a car on Primrose Bank, Blackburn, on November 15.

The victims were robbed of an Armani watch and cigarettes by the four men, three of whom were wearing face masks.

The two victims were threatened with a hammer and accused of being drug dealers. Their vehicle was then searched for any valuables.

A professional super-welterweight boxer, Shah was once tipped to be a world champion by his legendary trainer Brendan Ingle who produced stars such as ‘Prince’ Naseem Hamed.

He had nine professional fights between 2008 and 2014 and won seven of them but ‘fell in with the wrong crowd’ and started taking cocaine, the court heard.

Prosecutor Joanna Rodikis said: “Shah was an ex-boxer who was well-known in Blackburn. He said he would only rob people who were drug dealers and would not approach hard-working people.

“The victims tried to explain they did not have drugs and were there for an innocent purpose but the vehicle was searched and items stolen from the two men, including a watch and two packets of cigarettes.”

In a second incident, the court heard Shah was involved with stealing a £35,000 Range Rover from a home in Blackburn while the victims were sleeping at 3.15am on November 21.

Police saw a vehicle matching the description of the Range Rover 24 hours later on St Hubert’s Road, Great Harwood, but it had different number plates.

After a short pursuit the vehicle collided with a stone wall at Our Lady and St Hubert’s Roman Catholic Church, on St Hubert’s Road.

Shah was found hiding in a bush in the church gardens by one of the officers and was later arrested after his DNA was discovered in the vehicle.

He denied any involvement in the burglary and claimed he had no idea the vehicle had been stolen.

In a third incident, Shah, of Dickinson Close, broke into a house and stole household items worth £5,000 on December 5.

Aided by an accomplice, Shah smashed through the conservatory door of the property in Blackburn and stole electrical goods, including a PS4 which the victim had bought as a gift for his son’s birthday the next day.

In a victim personal statement, the home owner, who had stayed at his mother’s house on the night of the burglary, said he was shocked to find the goods had been stolen and has difficulties sleeping in the house because he doesn’t feel safe.

Shah was sentenced to five years and six months in jail on two counts of robbery, house burglary and aggravated vehicle-taking after being found guilty at a trial. He was also banned from driving for 38 months.

Defence barrister Howard Bernstein said: “A letter my client wrote talks of regret for the distress he has caused his victims. He accepts he committed the robbery following the trial which is a step in the right direction.

“He has gone from someone who was a celebrated boxer in the local area to losing his job and not having a regular income and falling into the wrong crowd.

“He has the support of his family and one of his friends has offered him the opportunity of work when he is released from prison.”

Recorder Sarah Johnston said: “It’s clear you had a promising career as an athlete which led you to be so easily identified by the victims of your robbery.

“At your career high-point you took to drug taking and committed serious offences. You were no doubt suffering from poor mental health which was exacerbated by excessive cocaine use.”