Seven jailed over luxury smash‑and‑grab raids
A gang behind a spree of smash and grab raids on some of London's most exclusive retailers has been sentenced, after making off with more than £100,000 in luxury goods.
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 retailers over a four‑month period in 2025, the Metropolitan Police said.
The group used bricks, sledgehammers and, on one occasion, a Ford Fiesta to break their way into shop entrances.
All seven men pleaded guilty and were sentenced at Kingston Crown Court.
The court heard that five successful burglaries took place between May and July 2025. A total of £146,356 worth of goods were stolen.
Two further break‑ins were unsuccessful.
In one of the burglaries on 8 May, involving Gibbs, O'Hare and Hughes, CCTV footage showed a blue Ford Fiesta being driven into the doors of a Fendi store on Sloane Street in central London.
The men stole £8,350 worth of designer goods before escaping in a silver Mercedes and on a motorcycle.
Gibbs was also sentenced for using a "paving block" to smash through the locked front door of Clarendon Fine Art in Marylebone, before stealing two pieces of framed art, collectively valued at £66,500.
Det Ch Insp 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.
"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."
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