This is the shocking moment hammer-wielding thugs launched a brazen daylight raid on a family-run jewellers in Richmond, west London, ransacking the window display as brave staff members fought back in a desperate attempt to protect their stock.
Dramatic Footage Captures Chaotic Scene
In footage captured by a bystander and widely circulated on social media, two men can be seen violently swinging a large sledgehammer against the glass frontage of Gregory & Co, the family-owned jewellery establishment. The assailants then peel away the shattered glass before proceeding to fill a blue bag with all the valuable items on display.
Staff members inside the shop are visible in the video, desperately trying to claw back whatever items they can before the thieves manage to snatch them away. In a particularly courageous act, the employees then begin hitting the robbers with what appears to be a small box, attempting to deter them from taking further goods, though with limited success.
Witness Describes Sudden Chaos
An employee from a nearby store, who witnessed the incident on Saturday morning, described the sudden chaos to the Daily Mail. 'The two guys appeared out of nowhere carrying a large sledgehammer and a bag. They then started smashing the jeweller's window up,' the witness recounted, painting a picture of the terrifying speed with which the affluent west London town was disrupted.
The thieves ultimately fled the scene, leaving shocked bystanders to process the alarming events. The Daily Mail has approached the Metropolitan Police for an official comment regarding this latest incident.
A Disturbing Pattern of Jewellery Raids
This Richmond heist represents just the latest instance in a concerning pattern of robbers targeting jewellers across the capital. Merely days earlier, on Thursday, Sultan Jewellers on Uxbridge Road in Shepherds Bush was attacked by several men who similarly used a sledgehammer to smash the shop's windows.
In that incident, police officers arrived at the scene within an astonishing three minutes, only to be threatened with a hammer as the thieves attempted to speed away on mopeds. A 33-year-old man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of aggravated burglary and remains in police custody, although multiple accomplices managed to evade capture.
Aftermath of the Shepherds Bush Attack
The aftermath of the Shepherds Bush robbery was severe, with a police cordon remaining in place for over twelve hours after the theft. Shards of broken glass and scattered jewellery littered the pavement outside the premises long after the criminals had fled.
Jack Stones, the landlord at the neighbouring Defectors Weld pub, reported seeing fresh blood on the pavement outside the jewellers when he walked past at 7am, more than three hours after the initial attack had occurred.
One local resident remarked that the recent attack felt eerily similar to a previous heist in October 2019, when three robbers armed with a sledgehammer used a Range Rover to smash into the same shop. Mr Khan, a local who provided only his surname, commented on the deteriorating situation, stating, 'It's Shepherds Bush, there's always young people causing trouble, kicking the doors of shops down and drinking. Crime around here has got so bad lately.'
Historical Context: A Previous Violent Robbery
The aforementioned 2019 robbery involved a black Range Rover crashing through the window of the e-Smart Money foreign exchange, which was internally connected to the jewellers. A thief wearing a motorcycle helmet then rushed out wielding a sledgehammer.
During that incident, bystanders took justice into their own hands, restraining one of the three robbers, Ben Wegener, as the group attempted to flee on foot towards the Westfield shopping centre. Pedestrians rushed towards the thief, who had dropped a bag when he fell, and attempted to restrain him, with some even pummeling him on the street while other onlookers filmed the chaotic scenes.
Wegener, who was of no fixed address, was subsequently sentenced to ten years in prison after pleading guilty to robbery, dangerous driving, possession of an offensive weapon, criminal damage, and receiving stolen goods. His two accomplices escaped, but police later recovered the stolen Range Rover, which was displaying false number plates.
These consecutive attacks highlight a troubling trend of violent, organised robberies targeting jewellery businesses in London, leaving local communities and business owners increasingly concerned for their safety and security.
