Man convicted of planning robbery at a jewellers in Richmond

Analysis of phone data and CCTV by Met officers has led to the conviction of a man who planned a robbery at a jewellers in Richmond. 

Two men tied up a member of shop staff before stealing around £1.3 million worth of luxury watches during the raid in May 2024. 

Flying Squad detectives, who specialise in investigating robberies, recovered and trawled through hundreds of hours of CCTV from across the country to piece together what happened. 

As a result, Mannix Pedro, 37, who organised the raid, was found guilty of conspiracy to rob at Woolwich Crown Court on Wednesday, 19 February. He will be sentenced at a later date.

Detective Sergeant Matt Hollands, who led the investigation, said: "This was an audacious robbery that was several months in the planning. I'm pleased our investigation has resulted in a dangerous offender being convicted.

“Our work is far from over, and our focus remains finding the three other men involved and putting them before the courts."  

On the afternoon of 25 May 2024 two men visited the jewellers in Kew Road after making an appointment with the owner. 

After initially appearing to be normal customers, they tied up a member of staff before filling a rucksack with high-value watches. 

The Met was called and officers began an investigation. They recovered CCTV from the jewellers which had captured the incident. By working back, they were able to identify the car the men had arrived in. 

Along with phone data, officers used this evidence to link the two men to three others they believed had been involved in planning the robbery. 

Sadly, the day after the incident occurred, the member of staff assaulted during the robbery was found dead. He was identified as Oliver White, who was 27 and from Surrey. A full inquest into his death is yet to take place, however it was not treated as suspicious. 

Detective Sergeant Hollands added: "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." 

In a statement paying to tribute to her son, Oliver's mother, Amy Keane, said: "I would describe Oliver as a huge character, very warm and a brilliant person. He lit up the room when he entered it and was incredibly kind and caring, he would go above and beyond for anyone. He cared deeply for his family, was a wonderful role model for his little brother, as well as his two sisters.

"Oliver really wanted to make something of himself, he aspired to buy a house, have a family and was planning for his future and this influenced his decision to work 24/7 as he saw his friends doing well in a business they enjoyed.

“We know Oliver to be trustworthy and honest. Given the jury have convicted a man of planning and organising the robbery of Oliver, we take this as vindication of our firmly held belief he played no role in this offence and was not implicated in any involvement.

"We are all absolutely devastated with the loss of our funny, thoughtful and kind son Oliver, our lives will never be the same and we feel this loss every minute of every day.”

Further enquiries are ongoing to locate the three other members of the group and anyone with information about their whereabouts is asked to call 101 quoting the reference 01/MP/11200/24. 

Information can also be shared anonymously with the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.  

Samaritans are here day or night, 365 days a year. You can call them for free on 116 123, email them at jo@samaritans.org, or visit www.samaritans.org to find your nearest branch. 

Conviction details 

Mannix Pedro, 37 (18.10.87), of Cobbetts Close, Woking, was found guilty of conspiracy to rob at Woolwich Crown Court on Wednesday, 19 February, and will be sentenced at a later date.

The jury failed to reach a verdict in relation to another man. A re-trial will take place in due course.