New CCTV footage completely obtained by BBC Information reveals how a burglar stole greater than £10m value of jewelry and designer purses from a London mansion.
The pictures present a masked man stuffing handfuls of jewelry right into a backpack after creeping into the multi-million pound property.
A household spokesperson, who was inside the house when the theft was carried out, stated the intruder moved “like a cat” however seems to have virtually been thwarted when his obvious escape route was blocked.
The stolen items belong to Hong Kong socialite Shafira Huang, who was not on the St John’s Wooden home on the time, and a reward of as much as £1.5m has been provided because the hunt for the thief continues.
Csaba Virag, a spokesman for Ms Huang’s household, stated the thief had initially tried to enter through a second ground window at round 17:00 GMT on 7 December.
Marks that seem like they have been made with a screwdriver or crowbar have been left behind.
When that didn’t work, the intruder then climbed onto the roof, the place he would have seen two housekeepers leaving the grounds, earlier than decreasing himself into a big concrete gutter to enter the home through a toilet window which was additionally on the second storey.
The toilet belonged to a live-in governess, Mr Virag stated, who he was holding a gathering with in a basement room of the 5 storey property when the theft occurred.
“She would have been in that room and there would have been a confrontation, which is sort of scary,” he stated.
Mr Virag stated the intruder would have needed to climb down onto a sink from the window, however moved “like a cat” to keep away from making any marks on it or disturbing the beauty merchandise it was suffering from. Round £300 in money on a desk within the room was left untouched.
The household spokesman stated he heard a banging throughout that assembly however put it right down to the robust winds exterior.
“Retrospectively, I can put two and two collectively, which on the time you do not actually suppose,” he stated.
Mr Virag stated he believes the noise may have been a workers entrance door banging within the draft created when the intruder opened the window, and that the thief closed the window rapidly to keep away from being given away.
The intruder was then captured on CCTV cameras transferring round the home above them, struggling to open instances containing costly jewelry earlier than placing objects into his bag.
Time stamps on one CCTV picture launched by the household point out he narrowly averted bumping into the maid once they walked by the identical hallway seconds aside.
Requested if the thief left the home the identical method as he got here in, Mr Virag stated he did, however added “I imagine it was not his intention”.
The thief had entered a “excessive threat” a part of the home and seems to have tried to go away through a hardly ever used visitor room behind the property, Mr Virag stated.
He continued: “[He] tried to open the window from the within however we’ve got the protection on the sash window.
“The stoppers solely can help you pull it down 8cm and if you do not have the proper instrument to unscrew the pins, you may’t. He tried however could not succeed.”
In addition to jewelry, Hermes Crocodile Kelly purses and £15,000 in money have been additionally taken.
Household handoutThe thief, who police imagine might have been armed, is believed to be a white man in his late 20s to 30s.
“We urge anybody who was within the space of Avenue Highway, NW8, and noticed something suspicious to please come ahead,” the Metropolitan Police’s Det Con Paulo Roberts stated.
“Additionally, when you’ve got seen this jewelry since, somebody has provided to promote you it, or you’ve got any additional info, then please additionally contact the police or Crimestoppers anonymously.”
A £500,00 reward has been provided for info that results in the arrest and conviction of the suspect.
A second reward of 10% of the worth of any recovered objects has been provided by the owners for info that results in the retrieval of the stolen jewelry – which may whole as a lot as £1.5m, the Metropolitan Police confirmed.
The housebreaking was carried out on Avenue Highway, which hyperlinks the Swiss Cottage and Regent’s Park areas of the capital and is house to among the metropolis’s most costly properties.
Ms Huang, who lives within the mansion together with her property developer husband, had been a prolific social media consumer however has since made her profiles personal.
Metropolitan Police
