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."

• Gibbs, of Talbot Road in Bayswater, was convicted of four counts of burglary on Sloane Street, St John's Wood High Street, Duke Street and Marylebone High Street. He was also convicted of attempted burglary on Marylebone High Street. He received a sentence of six years in prison.

• O'Hare, of Wormholt Road in Shepherd's Bush, was convicted of one count of burglary on Sloane Street, possession of Class A drugs and breaching a serious crime prevention order. He was sentenced to two years in prison.

• Hughes, of Grendon Street in Westminster, 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 received a sentence of five years in prison.

• Munday, of Harrow Road in Hyde Park, was convicted of one count of burglary on Edgware Road. He received a sentence of two years, suspended for two years, and must complete 150 hours of unpaid work.

• McCready, of Grand Junction Place in Uxbridge, was convicted of one count of burglary on Edgware Road. He received a sentence of two years in prison.

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

• Rigelsford, of Denmark Road in Kilburn, was convicted of two counts of burglary on Kensington Church Street and Duke Street. He received a sentence of three years and nine months in prison.

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