Seven men sentenced over smash-and-grab raids at luxury shops across London

Seven men have been sentenced after a series of smash-and-grab raids at luxury stores across London, where more than £100,000 worth of watches, artwork and designer goods were stolen.

Christopher Gibbs, 43; George O’Hare, 42; Paul Hughes, 42; Anthony Munday, 40; Lee James McCready, 46; Matthew Windrass, 50; and David Rigelsford, 37, targeted seven high-value stores, stealing luxury goods over four months in 2025, the Metropolitan Police said.

The robbers used bricks, sledgehammers and a Ford Fiesta to ram into the doors of the shops.

They took watches, jewellery, fine art and safes containing cash, and used stolen vehicles as getaway cars.

Across the group, five successful burglaries of London shops were committed between May and July 2025, with a similar technique being used each time, Kingston Crown Court previously heard.

A total of £146,356 worth of items were stolen during those incidents.

There were also two unsuccessful burglaries of an apothecary in Marylebone and a watch shop in Westminster, the court heard.

One of the defendants, McCready, of Uxbridge, west London, was on licence for murder committed in 2005, when he took part in a robbery during which almost £60,000 worth of watches and jewellery were stolen in broad daylight from Suttons and Robertsons store on Edgware Road, west London.

CCTV footage of the incident seen in court showed two men rushing up to the shop front wearing balaclavas and carrying sledgehammers.

The two men, identified as McCready and Windrass, snatched watches and jewellery through the windows before running back to a “getaway driver” in a silver Jaguar, identified as Munday.

In another burglary caught on CCTV, involving Gibbs, O’Hare and Hughes, the robbers used a Ford Fiesta to crash through the doors of a Fendi store on Sloane Street, central London.

They are seen grabbing designer handbags before escaping using a motorbike and a silver Mercedes.

Gibbs was also sentenced for using a “paving block” to smash through the locked front door of Clarendon Fine Art, before stealing two pieces of framed art, collectively valued at £66,500, along with another unknown man.

All seven pleaded guilty and were sentenced on Tuesday at Kingston Crown Court.

Gibbs, of Talbot Road, Bayswater, west London, was convicted of four counts of burglary on Sloane Street, St John’s Wood High Street, Duke Street and Marylebone High Street, and one of attempted burglary on Marylebone High Street. He was sentenced to six years imprisonment.

O’Hare, of Wormholt Road, Shepherd’s Bush, west London, was convicted of one count of burglary on Sloane Street, possession of Class A drugs and breach of a serious crime prevention order. He was sentenced to two years imprisonment.

Hughes, of Grendon Street, Westminster, central London, was convicted of two counts of burglary on Sloane Street and St John’s Wood High Street. He was also convicted of an unrelated robbery. He was sentenced to five years imprisonment.

Munday, of Harrow Road, Hyde Park, west London, was convicted of one count of burglary on Edgware Road. He was sentenced to two years imprisonment suspended for two years and 150 hours unpaid work.

McCready, of Grand Junction Place, Uxbridge, west London, was convicted of one count of burglary on Edgware Road. He was sentenced to two years imprisonment.

Windrass, of Park Crescent, Ascot, Berkshire, was convicted of one count of burglary on Edgware Road. He was sentenced to two years imprisonment.

Rigelsford, of Denmark Road, Kilburn, north London, was convicted of two counts of burglary on Kensington Church Street and Duke Street. He was sentenced to three years and nine months imprisonment.

Detective chief inspector Scott Mather, from the Met’s Flying Squad, said: “We realise these attacks on luxury stores have had a significant impact on business owners and the communities around them.

“Our detectives worked quickly, establishing common patterns between the attacks to link them to one criminal network. Forensic analysis and fast-paced CCTV inquiries were then able to identify the suspects.

“This is a clear message to anyone who thinks they can carry out smash-and-grab raids in London – we will identify you, we will track you down and we will bring you to justice.”