A 27-year-old watch salesman took his own life after being accused of not putting up enough resistance during a £1.1 million robbery at a store that prosecutors claim was a front for organised crime, Woolwich Crown Court has heard.
The Tragic Events Unfold
Oliver White was working alone at 247 Kettles in Kew Road, Richmond, on May 25 last year when robbers struck. The assailants restrained him with cable ties before making off with luxury watches valued at over £1,160,000.
What should have been a traumatic but survivable experience turned fatal when Mr White faced an intense meeting with store owners Joe Riley and Connor Thornton, along with another man, Fred Sines, the following day. During this confrontation, he was accused of not resisting the robbers sufficiently.
The court heard that immediately after this meeting, Mr White travelled to woods in Shepperton, where he grew up, and ended his life. He was later discovered there by a close friend.
Criminal Enterprise Allegations
Prosecutors revealed startling claims about the true nature of the business. The court was told that 247 Kettles allegedly served as a front for money laundering, with the operation actually being run by Fred Sines and his father, Maurice 'Fred' Sines.
Defence barrister Rupert Bowers KC didn't mince words during cross-examination, stating directly to co-owner Joe Riley: "This is just money laundering, isn't it?" and "This is a criminal enterprise with Fred Sines and his father behind it?" Mr Riley denied both allegations.
The court also heard that Fred Sines had previous criminal convictions, including being found guilty of conspiracy to transfer criminal property earlier this year at Oxford Crown Court in relation to the theft of a gold toilet from Blenheim Palace.
Suspicious Circumstances and Missing Evidence
Several concerning details emerged during proceedings. Notably, CCTV footage of the fatal meeting was wiped, with Riley claiming the system had a 14 or 30-day timer that automatically deleted recordings.
Mr Bowers challenged this explanation, suggesting: "The reason you or Connor destroyed that footage is because you knew it would reveal what happened in that meeting, so it had to be destroyed before the police got hold of it."
The court also heard that an unusually large number of watches - 96 pieces - were left out in the store during the robbery, when standard procedure dictated only two should have been displayed.
Victim's Desperate Attempts
Before his death, Mr White had offered to compensate the owners with his £14,000 life savings, money he had been accumulating for a flat deposit with his girlfriend, Alana Dredge. He attempted to transfer these funds to Thornton and Riley, who were in the United States when the robbery occurred.
Prosecutor Edward Brown KC told jurors that Mr White was "devastated" by the owners' suggestion that he hadn't resisted enough during the heist.
In a heartbreaking final gesture, Mr White left a note for Mr Riley, apologising for his perceived failure and expressing concern that his employers might think he was involved in the crime.
Ongoing Trial and Defendants
The court heard that businessman Mannix Pedro, 38, helped plan the raid and supplied a stolen Audi used as the getaway vehicle. Pedro has already been convicted of conspiracy to rob.
Other defendants include Kyle Mehmet, 40, who allegedly restrained Mr White during the robbery; Junior Kunu, 31, accused of taking the watches; and Michael Holmes, 34, allegedly involved in an aborted robbery attempt two days earlier.
Kunu, Mehmet and Holmes all deny conspiracy to commit robbery between February 28 and May 26, 2024. The trial continues as more details about the alleged criminal enterprise emerge.
