Night Watcher strikes again: Violent shotgun-wielding thug preying on rich families in £10m spree which saw him tying up and robbing the Duke of Richmond is linked to four …
Published: 21:33, 6 January 2024 | Updated: 21:37, 6 January 2024
A violent burglar, dubbed the Night Watcher, who has robbed a dozen wealthy homes of more than GBP10million in a series of frightening raids is believed to be linked to four more burglaries.
The shotgun wielding thug, whose campaign of terror included a raid on the Duke and Duchess of Richmond's home and violently beating up other home owners, is still on the run despite a six-year-old long manhunt by police.
Investigators believe the criminal could be a former soldier using military training to carry out the attacks without being caught.
Police, who have not spoken about the Night Watcher since 2019 after fearing he had escaped abroad, are now linking the fugitive to four more crimes, three reportedly taking place in Kent and one in London[2].
One of the attacks is said to have taken place in the capital in 2021, leaving two women hospitalised after he inflicted injuries upon them.
The Duke and Duchess of Richmond (pictured together in 2014 at the Goodwood Festival in Chichester) - then known as Lord and Lady March - are the most high-profile victims linked to the notorious Night Watcher
Susan Morris, then 61, was attacked by the criminal at her GBP3.5million home in Kingswood, Surrey in November 2017.
She feared she was going to be raped and killed during the terrifiying ordeal
The Night Watcher - thought to be a former member of the military - has carried out a series of robberies on expensive properties in the South East between 2006 and 2022
The incident took place on the Keston Park estate in Bromley, South East London, according to the Mirror, while the other offences took place in the Tonbridge area in Kent, one occurring in 2020, one in 2021, and the third in 2022.
He began his tirade on home owners in the South East in 2006 but it was not until 2017 that police linked the individual cases.
The Night Watcher is known to spend weeks hiding in the grounds of his target addresses, noting every move of his potential victims, and during his crimes knows who will be at home and where in the property valuables and safes are located.
He strikes at night, ambushing owners with a shotgun and his face hidden under a balaclava. Victims are then beat-up and tied together with plastic cable ties while their homes are ransacked.
The most high-profile case was in January 2016 when he left the Duke and Duchess of Richmond tied up in their home as he robbed Goodwood House in Sussex after stealing jewellery and heirlooms valued at more than GBP700,000.
The noise of the break-in, which took place in January 2017, had woken up the Duchess, who went to investigate, before the robber pushed her back against the bedroom door.
When the Duke tried to rescue her, the burglar hit him on the head with a 'blunt instrument', causing an injury to his ear.
Goodwood House (pictured) was broken into in January 2016. The horrifying incident saw the the Duke and Duchess of Richmond tied up as the thief stole a number of expensive items
Amongst the items stolen from Goodwood House was a ring King Charles II - an ancestor to the then Earl of March - gave to a favourite mistress
The pair, left 'devastated' by the attack and theft', were only released when a member of staff arrived for work the next day.
Amongst the precious items stolen was a ring King Charles II - an ancestor to the then Earl of March - gave to a favourite mistress and an 1820 diamond tiara worth around GBP400,000.
Several high-value watches, including a Rolex and Girard-Perregaux, were also taken, along with emerald, diamond and sapphire rings, earrings, bracelets and necklaces.
Susan Morris, then 61, whom the Watcher attacked in November 2017, feared she would be raped or killed during is attack at her GBP3.5million Surrey home.
She sat at her computer when the robber broke in yelling 'I want the jewellery, take me to the safe'.
Ms Morris was left with a broken jaw and lost a tooth as the Watcher beat her and bound her hands with plastic cables.
The victim said previously: 'When he was hitting me with the gun pointing at me, at that moment I did think, "this is it, it's all over".'
Ms Morris (pictured left with her husband Stephen; and with her injuries, right) was at her computer when the burglar pounced on her, yelling: 'I want the jewellery, take me to the safe'
Another item stolen from Goodwood House in 2016 was an 1820 diamond tiara worth around GBP400,000
Police previously said they thought the items had been stolen to be flogged overseas but none had surfaced.
Another incident took place in Sevenoaks in Kent in November 2016. Police then spotted a pattern of offending, linking the same person to robberies in Kingswood, Surrey, Maidenhead, Berkshire and at Goodwood House, West Sussex, two years earlier.
Regarding the most recent crime spree, Kent Police told the Mirror it was investigating a series of five burglaries.
The force said they took place between November 2016 and January 2022.
On each occasion a force spokeswoman said a lone offender threatened victims before trying to steal cash and high value possessions, such as watches and jewellery.
Victims reported being threatened with firearms as well as being restrained with cable ties and ropes.
After reviewing CCTV, Kent cops are now working with other police forces where similar incidents took place.
MailOnline has contacted Kent Police.
References
- ^ Eirian Jane Prosser (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ London (www.dailymail.co.uk)