Richmond jewellery robbery: Two people arrested as watch dealer Oliver White found dead at Surrey home
Two people have been arrested in connection with a robbery at a jewellery store in south-west London as the watch dealer targeted in the incident was found dead 24 hours after the theft.
Two unarmed men were caught on CCTV assaulting 27-year-old Oliver White before making off with a number of high-value watches from 247 Kettles on Kew Road in Richmond on Saturday afternoon (May 25). Mr White was not seriously injured in the incident but was found dead at his home in Surrey the next day.
The Metropolitan Police said that Mr White’s death is under investigation but it is not being treated as suspicious. The force has said that a man and a women, both in their 30s, were arrested in connection with the robbery.
The woman has since been released from custody under investigation. The man has been bailed pending further inquiries. Anyone with information on the robbery is being urged to call 101, quoting incident number CAD4555/25May, or to contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Detective Chief Inspector Scott Mather said: “First and foremost, our thoughts remain with Mr White’s family and friends at this unimaginably difficult time. We would ask that they are given the privacy they need to grieve.
“We are working tirelessly to get them the answers they need and are making good progress with our investigation. We urge anyone who has information that could assist us to get in touch as soon as possible. The images we have provided are good quality and someone must recognise the men we need to speak to. If you don’t want to contact police, please contact Crimestoppers anonymously.”
247 Kettles, the store where Mr White was working at the time of the assault, posted a tribute to him after he was found dead at home. The jewellery company said on Instagram: “It is with profound sadness we share the heartbreaking news of the passing of our beloved Oliver, who was a close friend for 20+ years before working with us at 247 Kettles. In his time working with us Oliver left a long lasting impact on the watch community as a whole - both suppliers and customers alike were taken back by Oliver’s vibrant spirit and kind heart and his loss is felt deeply by all that knew him.”
The store said that Mr White “should never have been alone in the office on Saturday and that amount of watches should’ve never been on display”. Bosses added: “The suspects targeted our store posing as potential clients across a three day period waiting for a vulnerability and the correct time to strike. Unfortunately on Saturday the attempt succeeded in a violent robbery which Oliver was the victim of.”