A 31-year-old member of an armed moped gang who carried out a shocking smash-and-grab raid at an expensive watch store had been jailed.

Jamie Farrell was one of six men who swooped on the Watches of Switzerland shop, on Regent Street, to carry out a violent burglary on June 5.

The gang arrived at the store on three mopeds and a motorbike at 10.20am.

They drove one of the mopeds through the doors of the shops, forcing them open and stopping security officers from being able to close them.

Three men wearing black crash helmets and armed with sledgehammers entered the store and smashed five display cases containing Rolex watches.


The other three men stayed outside the shop, including one on a high-powered motorbike, and they were armed with knives to stop security staff and members of the public from coming close.

It has not been revealed if Farrell, from Havelock Street, Islington, was one of the men who went into store or stayed outside.

A total of 30 Rolex watches - worth £440,000 - were stolen in the raid.

The thieves fled after the internal security smoke alarm was activated.

Passing police saw what was happening and chased after the robbers, who made off in different directions.

Farrell was chased and monitored by members of the public before he was detained by police officers in Heddon Street.

As Farrell ran away, he was seen to abandon several items including a pair of gloves, a crash helmet and a bag full of 11 Rolex watches.

These items were recovered by police and forensic analysis of the watches and the gloves revealed traces of Farrell’s blood.


Police later recovered a further six Rolex watches from an address in Islington, near to where a moped had been abandoned, in total recovering £309,350 of stolen property belonging to Watches of Switzerland.

Farrell was jailed for eight years at Southwark Crown Court on Monday, July 9, after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery and possession of an offensive weapon.

Met Flying Squad Detective Constable, Phelim Redmond, said,: “Farrell was among a group of men who carried out a brazen robbery at a jewellers in the centre of London.

"I would like to thank the members of the public who helped identify Farrell and the items of clothing and stolen goods he had discarded as he fled the scene.

"Officers have recovered 17 out of the 29 watches stolen, worth more than £300,000. However, the damage to the store, including the cabinets destroyed is estimated to be in the region of £100,000.

"The Met is committed to disrupting and detaining anyone involved in moped crimes. The investigation is still ongoing in this case to identify and arrest the other five men involved in this crime."