Two individuals are evading authorities after reportedly participating in a £1.38 million jewelry heist at a store located in south-west London, according to information presented in court.
Junior Kunu, 30, from Mitcham, south-west London, and Mannix Pedro, 37, from Woking, Surrey, both refute allegations of conspiring with others to carry out the robbery in Richmond.
During proceedings at Woolwich Crown Court, it was revealed that at least two additional suspects are believed to be involved and remain at large.
The court was informed that during the heist, Oliver White, the store manager, was placed in a headlock by one of the unidentified men.
Tragically, Mr. White took his own life the following day, directly attributing his death to the traumatic incident, as discussed earlier in the trial.
On Thursday, prosecutor Edward Brown KC informed jurors that the two other suspects escaped abroad shortly after the robbery on May 25 of the previous year and have yet to be apprehended.
In excess of 70 “high-value” timepieces were stolen from the 247 Kettles shop, as stated in court.
A witness statement from Mr. White, recorded by police after the incident, was shared with the jury.
He recounted that on the day of the robbery, two men entered 247 Kettles, noting their “completely relaxed” demeanor, which gave him no reason for suspicion.
“Four watch trays were on display. At that moment, I felt at ease, but moments later, they stood up and began seizing the watches.
“They were conversing and instructed each other to ‘grab the watches.'”
According to his testimony, one man restrained him, pinning his arms against his chest, and he recalled feeling overwhelmed with shock at that moment.
“He was the only one who physically engaged with me. He then tied my wrists together,” Mr. White stated.
He described being placed in a headlock and rendered unable to move while the robbers collected the watches, which left his skin reddened.
Jurors viewed CCTV footage allegedly depicting one of the assailants putting Mr. White in a headlock while he sat in an office chair, while another accomplice filled a blue backpack worn by the first man with the stolen watches.
The two suspects were reportedly inside the shop between 14:45 and 15:00 GMT before transporting the stolen goods to an Audi A3 featuring false license plates.
Although Mr. Pedro did not enter the shop during the robbery, he was said to have been “closely involved in the planning and execution,” which included utilizing a stolen Audi as one of the two getaway vehicles.
The jury was also informed that the stolen watches were uninsured due to a previous burglary four years prior, which had made acquiring insurance “virtually impossible—either actually unattainable or the premiums were prohibitively high.”
Following the incident, Mr. White attempted to transfer £14,000 in savings to his employers, after which he went missing and ceased responding to messages and calls.
Both Mr. Kunu, from Mitcham, and Mr. Pedro, from Woking, deny the allegations against them.
The trial is anticipated to last two weeks and continues.
