Jewellery shop manager was put in a headlock during £1,380,000 robbery

A jewellery store manager took his ain beingness aft robbers raided his shop, held him successful a headlock and took disconnected with dozens of high-value watches worthy much than £1,000,000, a tribunal has heard.

Oliver White, 27, was recovered successful his family’s location successful Surrey soon aft the store helium managed was robbed successful Richmond, south-west London, connected May 25 past year.

Today, Junior Kunu, 30, and Mannix Pedro, 37, went connected proceedings astatine Woolwich Crown Court charged with conspiring with others to perpetrate the robbery.

More than 70 watches were taken from the 247 Kettles shop, and authoritative Edward Brown KC said Mr White took his ain beingness the adjacent time arsenic a ‘direct result’ of the robbery.

Mr Brown told the tribunal the defendants played antithetic roles successful the plot, with Kunu having entered the premises to transportation retired the robbery, portion Pedro, who did not be the store connected May 25, was ‘closely progressive successful the readying and execution’, including the usage of a stolen Audi arsenic 1 of 2 getaway cars.

Jurors were shown CCTV successful which a antheral – who cannot beryllium named for ineligible reasons – enactment Mr White successful a headlock portion helium was seated connected an bureau seat arsenic different man, allegedly Kunu, stuffed watches into a backpack.

The different antheral tin past beryllium seen restraining Mr White utilizing achromatic cablegram ties to hindrance his hands together.

The manager had ‘visible reddening astir his cervix and wrist’ aft the alleged attack, Mr Brown said.

Mr White was archetypal contacted by the conspirators, who posed arsenic prospective buyers, done Instagram and past aboriginal connected WhatsApp astir 3 months earlier the robbery, the tribunal heard.

Just days earlier the robbery, the suspects visited the store to presumption watches, pretending they were ‘interested’ successful making a purchase.

The archetypal sojourn was an ‘aborted’ robbery, according to Mr Brown.

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Mr Brown explained that connected the time of the robbery, determination was ‘nothing’ to marque Mr White suspicious astir the imaginable buyers.

In a connection aft his death, Mr White’s household said helium had been ‘traumatised and incapable to speak’ aft the robbery.

They said: ‘As a household we are devastated by the nonaccomplishment of our beautiful, funny, loyal boy, who lit up each country helium walked into.’

Kunu, of Mitcham, south-west London, and Pedro, of Woking, Surrey, some contradict the charges. None of the watches person been recovered, the authoritative said.

The trial, expected to past 2 weeks, continues.

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