Two on the run over £1.4m shop raid, court hears

Oliver White took his own life after the jewellery shop he managed was robbed

Two men are on the run after they were allegedly involved in a £1.38m jewellery raid at a shop in south-west London, a court has heard.

Junior Kunu, 30, of Mitcham, south-west London, and Mannix Pedro, 37, of Woking, Surrey, both deny charges of conspiring with others to commit the robbery in Richmond.

Woolwich Crown Court heard at least two others are said to have been involved and remain at large.

The manager of the store, Oliver White, was held in a headlock by one of the missing men during the robbery, jurors were told.

Mr White took his own life the next day "as a direct result" of the robbery, the court was told earlier in the trial.

On Thursday, prosecutor Edward Brown KC told jurors that the two missing suspects fled abroad soon after the robbery on 25 May last year and have not yet been arrested.

More than 70 "high-value" watches were taken from the 247 Kettles shop, the court heard.

'Grab the watches'

Mr White's witness statement, given to police after the alleged attack, was read to the court.

He said that on the day of the robbery, two men entered the shop 247 Kettles and that "their body language was completely relaxed and there was nothing that made me suspect anything".

"Four watch trays were out on display. At this point in time I felt normal, a few moments later they stood up and started grabbing the watches.

"They started talking to each other and said 'grab the watches'."

He said one man grabbed him and "had pinned my hands across my chest", the court heard.

"I was feeling shocked at this point... he was the only guy who got physical with me. He then bound my wrists together."

Mr White's statement said he was put in a headlock and could not move as they took the watches, and his skin was left reddened.

CCTV evidence

Jurors have been shown CCTV footage which is said to show one of the men putting Mr White in a headlock while he is sitting on an office chair.

Another man puts watches into a blue backpack worn by the first man, jurors were told.

Both men were inside the shop from 14:45-15:00 GMT before carrying the watches to an Audi A3 with false plates, the court heard.

Mr Pedro, who did not enter the shop during the raid, was "closely involved in the planning and execution", including the use of a stolen Audi as one of two getaway cars, the court heard.

Jurors were also told the watches were not insured because a burglary four years before had made insurance "in practical terms impossible - either actually not possible or the premium was so high as to be prohibitive".

Following the robbery, Mr White tried to transfer £14,000 in savings to his bosses and later went missing and stopped responding to texts and calls, jurors heard.

Mr Kunu, of Mitcham, south-west London, and Mr Pedro, of Woking, Surrey, both deny the charges.

The trial, expected to last two weeks, continues.