Oliver White, a watch shop manager, sent his life savings to his bosses after a £1.4m robbery and then killed himself.
During the robbery, someone put White in a headlock and tied him up. £1.4 million worth of jewelry was stolen. Two men, Junior Kunu and Mannix Pedro, are charged with planning the robbery with others, and over 70 expensive watches were taken.
The shop owners, Conor Thornton and Joe Riley, were in the US. They returned quickly to meet White on May 26. They had been friends for years, which is how White ended up working there.
The watches were not insured because insuring them was too difficult after an earlier burglary and the cost was too high. The meeting after the robbery was intense.
White was upset and sent £14,000 to the shop owners. This was his life savings, meant for a house that he and his girlfriend planned for, after being together for seven years.
He transferred the money by email around 4:30 pm on May 26. The bank could not transfer it right away due to technical problems, which White did not know. Another man was also at that meeting, but his name is withheld to protect the legal process.
White told his girlfriend someone had accused him, saying he didn’t fight hard enough. Other friends agreed, which devastated him.
He was careful with finances, never borrowed money, and paid bills on time. He loved his work at Kettles, worked hard, and saw the good in everyone.
Soon after this, he disappeared and stopped answering calls. His body was found that evening in a wooded area, a place he used to go as a child.
His car was nearby. He had taken his own life, feeling he had let people down and believing he had failed, even though he had not.
White’s police statement was read. On May 25, two men came to the shop, having scheduled a meeting. Their body language seemed relaxed, and White didn’t suspect anything initially.
Watch trays were out when they suddenly grabbed the watches, telling each other to grab them quickly. One man grabbed White and pinned White’s hands.
White was shocked when that man put him in a headlock and tied White’s wrists. White could not move, causing his skin to become reddened.
Prosecutors said Kunu robbed the shop and Pedro helped plan it, though Pedro did not go to the shop. They used a stolen Audi as a getaway car.
CCTV showed a man putting White in a headlock, while another man, supposedly Kunu, put watches in a blue backpack. The first man then tied White’s hands.
Kunu is from Mitcham, and Pedro is from Woking. Both deny the charges and none of the watches have been found. The trial is ongoing.