An 86-year-old man whose £20,000 Rolex was snatched by a thief who travelled 100 miles to his Trafford home after spotting his Facebook advert has spoken of the ordeal, saying: "I'm glad he's in jail."
David Williams decided to sell his Rolex Daytona Cosmograph Oyster Perpetual watch, which he bought for £20,850 in 2023, to buy a car. He advertised it on Facebook for £18,000, before knocking £1,000 off.
He received a message from a potential buyer, 'Jack Hilmma', who said he lived in Warrington. 'Jack' made a deal with David and agreed to travel to complete the sale.
The Deceptive Meeting
'Jack' was actually Tichine Asan, who lived in Hull. The 27-year-old found out David was elderly and had no relations. David said that when they met, he would be bearing a black overcoat and holding an Age UK bag.
They arranged the handover for December 15 last year, agreeing on a spot in Sale town centre. David said he believed it was a 'safe place'. When he got there, 'Jack' said he went to the wrong location and could no longer meet up. David drove home, but soon realised he'd been followed.
Asan approached and started asking questions about parking. Suddenly, he snatched the bag containing the watch before slashing the tyres of David's car.
The Aftermath
"I just stood there and I said 'what the f**k?'," widower David - who lost his wife in 2021 - said. "I stood there dumbfounded. I couldn't believe what had happened. As I ran back to where the drive is, he was reversing down and I just caught part of his number plate. Within a few minutes I sat in the car and dialled 999. I just couldn't believe what had happened. For a few seconds I stood there thinking 'have I dreamt this?'. It happened that quickly."
Police were later able to link the IP address used to set up the Facebook account Asan used. Cell site data proved he made the journey to Trafford.
The watch has never been recovered, leaving David traumatised and out of pocket. Last month, Asan was jailed for two years. Former plasterer David said he has steadily regained his confidence to go out in public following the incident.
Sentencing and Impact
But he said he constantly checks over his shoulder when he gets home. He added: "I'm always aware of any car coming up behind me in the car park now. When I'm walking from my car to the entrance of my flat, I'm always aware. I was always aware of being scammed. Everyone was saying 'watch this' and 'watch that'. I thought 'alright, nobody will scam me'."
Asked what he'd say to Asan face-to-face, David added: "I'd say 'if you're not prepared to do the time, don't do the crime'. I'd rather he gave me my watch and stayed free. I'm glad he's in jail. That's why I went to court, I wanted to see what he looked like."
In October, Judge Jenny Lester-Ashworth asked Asan's barrister what the money from the sale of the watch was used for. He said Asan reported it had been spent on medical fees in Romania for his mother. The judge said she would require proof to accept that, adding of Asan: "I'm not minded to take anything he says at face value."
The court heard that Asan is married with three young children and that his family would suffer without him as he is the main breadwinner, working for Uber Eats. The judge ruled his crimes were so serious he should be jailed. She said there was a 'particular public interest in deterring this type of conduct'. Asan, of Mayfield Street, Hull, pleaded guilty to theft and criminal damage. He was sentenced to two years. A restraining order prohibiting him from contacting David will last for a decade.
