Richmond: Watch dealer found dead day after robbery 'took own life' says family
The man was found by police in Surrey on Sunday evening, following a report of a concern for safety. His family described him as a "beautiful, funny, loyal boy".
Wednesday 29 May 2024 00:14, UK
The family of a watch dealer found dead the day after robbers put him in a chokehold and stole expensive watches from him believes he took his own life.
Two unarmed men stole a number of high-value watches from the jewellers in Kew Road, Richmond, on Saturday, said the Metropolitan Police.
CCTV footage posted online shows a shop worker being put in a chokehold during the raid after two men are seen talking to him at a table in a jewellers.
Police said the victim of the robbery, 27-year-old Oliver White, who worked at 247 Kettles, was found dead in Shepperton in Surrey, on Sunday.
"Our son Oliver returned home from his place of work on Saturday traumatised and unable to speak," his family said in a statement shared by Surrey Police.
"He had been the victim of a terrifying attack and high value robbery at his place of work, which was later shared widely on social media.
"Sadly, it is our belief that Oliver subsequently took his own life due to the anguish and distress of this terrible incident.
"As a family we are devastated by the loss of our beautiful, funny, loyal boy, who lit up every room he walked into.
His family has asked for privacy as they "desperately" try to "make sense and come to terms with this tragic incident".
In CCTV footage one of the men, who has multiple tattoos and is wearing a black and white T-shirt with sunglasses on his head, is seen grabbing the dealer and holding him around his neck for more than a minute.
His accomplice, wearing a grey hoodie and ripped blue jeans, grabs items from cabinets and stuffs them into a bag on the other man's back.
Police said the death is not being treated as suspicious.
The firm's Instagram page advertised watches by Rolex, Patek Phillipe and Cartier among others, with at least one listed at more than £100,000.
A woman named widely online as his girlfriend of six years, Alana Dredge, posted on her public Instagram page a picture of the couple at a rooftop swimming pool - the last photo taken of them together, she said.
She wrote: "My darling boy I can't believe you're gone. This was only two weeks ago and now I'll never see you again.
"The last thing you said to me was I love you. I will cherish you forever, being with you was the best six years of my life.
"I hope you are reading this from up there, I will continue to make you proud."
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The Metropolitan Police said: "We are aware of the death of a man in Surrey on Sunday, 26 May. The man who died was the victim of a robbery at a jewellers in Richmond on Saturday 25 May."
The force asked the public not to share the "moving CCTV footage" on social media.
Surrey Police said officers were called to a location in Shepperton shortly after 8.15pm on Sunday following a report of a concern for safety.
The force said: "A man in his 20s was sadly pronounced dead at the scene. His next of kin are aware and are being supported."
On Saturday, the Metropolitan Police released images of two men they wish to locate following the robbery, who appeared to be the men in the video, and said the staff member had not been seriously injured.
Police said on Tuesday no arrests had been made.
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