£1.38m jewellery heist mastermind guilty – store manager took his own life after brutal raid!

£1.38M JEWELLERY HEIST: ONE CONVICTED, SECOND DEFENDANT FACES UNCERTAIN FUTURE AS JURY DISCHARGED

By Ben Freeman.

A jury has been discharged after failing to reach a verdict in the trial of a man accused of conspiring to commit a £1.38 million robbery at a Richmond jewellery store—a violent raid that ultimately led to the store manager taking his own life.

Junior Kunu, 30, stood trial alongside Mannix Pedro, 37, who was convicted last Wednesday at Woolwich Crown Court for his role in the heist at 247 Kettles on May 25 last year. However, after 28 hours of deliberation, jurors were unable to agree on Kunu’s fate, leading the judge to dismiss them without a verdict.

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A preliminary hearing will now be scheduled to determine whether Kunu, of Mitcham, will face a retrial. He remains in custody but has been told he is not required to attend that hearing.

The court previously heard harrowing details of the robbery, during which store manager Oliver White, 27, was tied up and placed in a headlock before being forced to watch as more than 70 high-value watches were stolen. Just hours later, White—said to have been "extremely upset" and overwhelmed by the ordeal—tragically took his own life.

The prosecution described Pedro as being "closely involved in the planning and execution" of the crime, though he never physically entered the store. Instead, he was instrumental in orchestrating key elements of the robbery, including the use of a stolen Audi as one of two getaway vehicles.

Kunu, however, offered an extraordinary defence, claiming that the raid was in fact "staged" and that Oliver White himself had consented to it. According to Kunu, had White believed the robbery to be real, he "would have put up more of a fight." This assertion was met with firm rejection from White’s grieving family, who have maintained their unwavering belief in his innocence.

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In a heartfelt statement, White’s mother, Amy Keane, described the devastating impact of her son’s death:

"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."

She went on to pay tribute to her son’s character, adding:

"Oliver was a huge personality—warm, caring, and a brilliant human being. He lit up the room wherever he went and always went above and beyond for others. We know Oliver to be trustworthy and honest. Given the jury has convicted a man of planning and organising the robbery of Oliver, we take this as vindication of our firmly held belief that he played no role in this offence and was not implicated in any way."

Despite Pedro’s conviction, none of the stolen watches—worth a staggering £1.38 million—have been recovered. Jurors also heard that the timepieces were uninsured, even though the store had been targeted in a similar theft three years prior.

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As the legal process continues, all eyes will be on the upcoming hearing to decide whether Kunu will be retried. Meanwhile, for Oliver White’s family, the pain of his loss remains immeasurable, with the tragic consequences of this ruthless crime continuing to cast a long shadow.

The court was apprised that this was not the first time 247 Kettles had been targeted. In September 2021, the establishment suffered a significant loss when thieves infiltrated their Egham premises, seizing a 750kg safe containing approximately £500,000 worth of watches and jewellery.

Despite relocating to Richmond two months post-incident, the business did not insure its inventory, a decision that proved calamitous in the wake of the 2024 robbery.

Detective Sergeant Matt Hollands, leading the investigation, remarked on the audacity and meticulous planning of the crime, emphasizing the ongoing efforts to apprehend the remaining accomplices. He stated,

"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."

As the community grapples with the dual tragedies of the substantial theft and the loss of a cherished individual, the case serves as a somber reminder of the profound repercussions such crimes inflict on victims and their families.

Well, that’s all for now. But until our next article, please stay tuned, stay informed, but most of all stay safe, and I’ll see you then.

Bénédict Tarot Freeman

Editor-at-Large

VPN City-Desk

[email protected]

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