A watch dealer sent his life savings to his bosses after a robbery of £1.4 million, before taking his own life.

Last year, Oliver White, a 27-year-old luxury watch shop manager, found himself in a terrifying situation. He was working at the 247 Kettles shop in Richmond, southwest London, when two men entered and robbed the store. White was put in a headlock and tied up while the robbers stole jewelry worth £1.4 million. The incident took place on May 25, 2020.

Unfortunately, the stress and trauma of the robbery had devastating consequences for White. He was accused of not fighting back enough during the robbery, and this accusation took a toll on his mental health. According to the court hearing at Woolwich Crown Court, White's employers, Conor Thornton and Joe Riley, were out of the country at the time of the robbery but returned immediately to meet with White on May 26. They were close friends with White and had hired him to work at the shop. The meeting must have been intense as White was visibly upset by the events that had occurred the day before. In fact, he even transferred £14,000 from his life savings to the owners of Kettles, who were also his friends. This money was meant for a house for him and his girlfriend, but White felt that he had to do something to make amends for not being able to defend the store.

White's girlfriend, Alana Dredge, was also present at the court hearing. The couple had been together for seven years and had plans for their future. However, the stress of the robbery and the accusations made against White took a toll on their relationship. In fact, White transferred the money to his employers at around 4:30 PM on May 26, but due to technical issues, the funds were not transferred. This caused even more distress for White, but he was not aware of the issue. The court also heard that another man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was present at the meeting.

The news of White's struggle and the accusations made against him soon spread to his loved ones. His girlfriend later shared that White had told her that the man present at the meeting had accused him of not fighting back enough during the robbery. This was something that White's friends did not disagree with, and it devastated him. As a person, White was careful with his money and had no debts or financial issues. He was described as a hard worker who always went the extra mile at work. He was also known for seeing the good in people and not being able to see the bad or risks involved.

Sadly, the pressure and guilt of the situation took a toll on White's mental health, and he went missing soon after transferring the money. He stopped responding to calls and texts, and on the same evening, his body was found by a friend who had been searching for him in a wooded area that White used to visit as a child. He had taken his own life. The court heard that White believed he had let others down and was being seen as a failure, which was not the case at all.

The court also heard White's statement to the police, given after the robbery. He shared that he had no reason to be suspicious when two men entered the store. However, things quickly turned dangerous when the men started grabbing watches and one of them grabbed White and pinned his hands across his chest. He was shocked and felt helpless as his hands were bound together with cable ties. The robbers also put him in a headlock, leaving red marks on his skin, while they stole the watches.

The court also learned that the defendants, Junior Kunu and Mannix Pedro, played different roles in the robbery. Kunu was the one who physically entered the store and carried out the robbery, while Pedro, who was not present at the store, was involved in planning and executing the robbery, including the use of a stolen Audi as a getaway car. The prosecution showed CCTV footage of the robbery, where one of the men can be seen putting White in a headlock and the other putting watches into a backpack. The other man then used cable ties to restrain White. Both Kunu and Pedro have denied the charges, and the trial is ongoing. Unfortunately, none of the stolen watches have been recovered.

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