Three men have been sentenced to a combined 51 years in prison over a £1.1 million robbery at a luxury watch shop in Richmond, following a major investigation
by the Metropolitan Police’s Flying Squad.
The sentences were handed down at Woolwich Crown Court on Friday, 6 February, after the men were convicted of conspiracy to rob. Detectives painstakingly pieced together the crime by analysing hundreds of hours of CCTV footage from locations across the country.
The robbery took place in May 2024 at a jewellery store on Kew Road. Two of the offenders attended the shop posing as customers after arranging an appointment. Once inside, they restrained shop worker Oliver White and filled a rucksack with high-value watches.
Tragically, Mr White, who was 27, died the following day after taking his own life. His death was later linked to the trauma he suffered during the robbery.
The court heard that the offence was carefully planned over several months. Mannix Pedro, 38, of Cobbetts Close in Woking, was identified as the organiser and was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment. Kyle Mehmet, 40, of North Road, Rotherham, received an 18-year sentence, while Michael Holmes, 35, of Earl Marshall Road, Sheffield, was jailed for 13 years.
Detective Constable Tom Waller, who led the investigation from the Met’s Flying Squad, said: "Throughout this investigation Oliver has been in our thoughts and we have remained committed to securing justice for his family. His death is a tragic reminder that crimes such as robbery have a significant impact on victims.
"This was an audacious robbery that was several months in the planning. “Due to the dedication and excellent detective work of our officers, we were able to track these dangerous criminals down and bring them before for the courts."
Following the robbery, officers recovered CCTV footage from the shop, which captured the incident. By tracing the suspects’ movements backwards, detectives identified the vehicle used to travel to Richmond from Acton. Phone data and further evidence later linked the two men seen in the shop to three others involved in planning the crime.
The case marks the conclusion of a complex investigation and one of the most serious robbery prosecutions handled by the Met in recent years. Photo by Cnyborg, Wikimedia commons.