Watch dealer Oliver White, who took his own life after robbers claiming to be clients raided his shop, ‘should never have been alone in the office’, the store’s owners have said.
The 27-year-old was found dead on Sunday after being the victim of a high value jewellery raid just one day earlier at the 247 Kettles store in affluent Richmond, south-west London.
His family said they believe he took his own life ‘due to the anguish and distress of this terrible incident’ after he was left ‘traumatised and unable to speak’.
It came after horrifying video footage showed one of the robbers restraining the 27-year-old with a chokehold while his accomplice is seen sweeping up large numbers of timepieces, estimated to be worth £2.8million.
‘The suspects targeted our store posing as potential clients across a three day period waiting for a vulnerability and the correct time to strike. Unfortunately on Saturday the attempt succeeded in a violent robbery which Oliver was the victim of,’ a statement on 247 Kettles’ Instagram said.
The firm revealed that a series of safety measures were in place including panic buttons, alarms, smoke screens and security doors – but thaey were not deployed as the room was mercilessly emptied.
The company said ‘we have strict security procedures to prevent such circumstances’, but ‘through no fault of anyone’s’ they were not followed during the ‘tragic event’.
Richmond-based watch dealer 247 Kettles posted this tribute to Oliver on Instagram
Two unarmed thieves (pictured) entered the 247 Kettles store in affluent Richmond in south-west London last Saturday and stole dozens of high value watches
Watch dealer 247 Kettles admitted Oliver White should not have been alone inside the showroom (pictured). An alarm (top left) and security camera can be seen as well
Oliver pictured with his girlfriend, Alana Dredge. She described it as their ‘last photo together’ taken two weeks ago
The Richmond firm said none of their security procedures were followed during the robbery on Saturday. Pictured: Another look inside their watch showroom with CCTV security cameras
The video showing their watch room goes on to display these gold Rolex watches
In the footage showing the inside showroom, alarms and security CCTV can be seen in the corners of the room.
In a tribute to Mr White, a spokesperson for 247 Kettles said: ‘It is with profound sadness we share the heartbreaking news of the passing of our beloved Oliver, who was a close friend for 20+ years before working with us at 247 Kettles.
‘In his time working with us Oliver left a long lasting impact on the watch community as a whole – both suppliers and customers alike were taken back by Oliver’s vibrant spirit and kind heart and his loss is felt deeply by all that knew him.
‘Oliver had an incredible work ethic and a passion for pleasing customers. He liked to work around the clock and even out of hours to ensure customers were satisfied.
‘As a business we will remain closed temporarily to grieve the loss of our friend. Any messages / requests will be picked up upon our return. Our thoughts are with all of Oliver’s family at this time.’
In promo footage taken from 247 Kettles’ social media site, the interior of the luxury showroom can be seen which features a flatscreen TV, scent diffusers as well as an alarm and security CCTV.
Viewers can also see its plush interior, with a number of high-profile designer brands displayed on the walls and on book covers, such as Supreme and Chanel.
The video shows a number of expensive items in the showroom, including these designer book cases (left) and necklaces (right)
A Rolex clock, pictured, can also be seen in the video alongside luxury scent diffusers and a flatscreen TV
The 247 Kettles promo video displays the plush, expensive interior of the store
Here is another look at the showroom, which displays expensive brands such as Supreme across its walls
A CCTV image of one of the robbers who stole a number of high-value watches from the shop in Kew Road, Richmond
The family of Oliver White, who was found dead at his family home in Shepperton after being the victim of a high value watch raid, say they believe he took his own life
The promo footage goes on to show a range of expensive watches, including gold Rolexes, a Rolex clock and expensive-looking necklaces.
Mr White’s family said in a statement to Surrey Police yesterday: ‘Our son Oliver returned home from his place of work on Saturday traumatised and unable to speak. He had been the victim of a terrifying attack and high value robbery at his place of work, which was later shared widely on social media.
‘Sadly, it is our belief that Oliver subsequently took his own life due to the anguish and distress of this terrible incident.
‘As a family we are devastated by the loss of our beautiful, funny, loyal boy, who lit up every room he walked into.’
After paying tribute to their ‘beautiful’ boy, Oliver’s family also asked for privacy while they grieve their loss.
A close friend of Mr White, who was known as Olli, told MailOnline yesterday: ‘He was very depressed after the robbery and was filled with a lot of worry especially after it was established that around £2.8million worth of watches had been stolen.
‘Olli was petrified that he could lose all that he owns and that they might even take his mother’s house.
‘He was also traumatised by what happened and became very fearful about the impact this robbery could have on his and his family’s financial future. He just didn’t know what was going to happen.’
Another friend claimed that Olli’s fears were heightened over concerns about how much insurance cover was in place.
He said: ‘He wasn’t sure if the insurance would have covered the theft or if there was any insurance at all. The robbery left him broken and combined with the financial uncertainty over who would be responsible he couldn’t see another way out.
Ms Dredge has posted online tributes to Oli after he was found dead on Sunday evening after police were called to Shepperton in Surrey
‘Olli took it very personally and really believed that he would get all the blame and that it would ruin him.’
Olli, who was reported to be in his mid 20s, lived in Shepperton with his mother Amy and stepfather Mark.
The devastated couple were consoling his heartbroken girlfriend Alana Dredge at the family home this week.
A family friend told MailOnline: ‘They are going through an incredible amount of pain and it’s going to take them a long time to get over this.
‘Olli was a wonderful son and partner to Alana, and they had dreams about building a life together but tragically, this robbery has taken this all away.’
Ms Dredge shared on Instagram a picture of herself and her partner on holiday – saying it was ‘our last photo together’, taken just a fortnight ago.
She wrote: ‘My darling boy I can’t believe you’re gone. This was our last photo together. This was only 2 weeks ago and now I’ll never see you again.
‘The last thing you said to me was I love you. I will cherish you forever, being with you was the best 6 years of my life. I hope you are reading this from up there, I will continue to make you proud.’
