Watch dealer, 27, robbed in £2.8m raid on affluent London jewellers hanged himself in woods the next day, inquest told

A watch dealer who was the victim of a £2.8million robbery hanged himself in a ‘woodland area’ the day after, an inquest has heard.

Oliver White, 27, worked at 247 Kettles in affluent Richmond, in the south west Londonon May 25 when two men “posing as customers” committed the robbery.

Gruesome footage showed one of the robbers holding the sales manager in a chokehold while his accomplice dragged away large numbers of expensive luxury watches.

At Surrey Coroner’s Court yesterday morning it was said that an autopsy found Olli, from Shepperton, died from suspension.

The brief hearing in Woking heard that Olli was pronounced dead at 9.59pm on May 26 in a ‘wooded area adjacent to Sheep Walk’.

Watch dealer Oliver White (pictured) took his own life after robbers claiming to be customers burst into his store

A video showing their watch room then shows these gold Rolex watches

Area coroner Simon Wickens said Olli, whose job title was ‘jewellery sales manager’, was identified by his stepfather Mark.

Coroner Adam Stewart said: ‘He confirms that he had known Oliver for 19 years and saw him after he died in the above-mentioned woodland area on May 26.’

The autopsy was carried out on May 30, the court heard, with a medical cause of death suspended.

Mr Wickens said: ‘An inquest is being called for due to the unnatural nature of the death.

“I previously released Oliver’s body to the family. The case is subject to evidence gathering and a coroner’s investigation. This inquest is open and adjourned.”

The coroner has not yet set a date for when the full investigation will take place.

A day after his death, a moving tribute with balloons and flowers was set up against a fence at the bottom of Sheep Walk.

One note read: “We promise to always care for Alana and help keep your memory alive.”

Another said: ‘Thank you for every time you lit up the room and put a smile on our faces. We will forever cherish every time we spent with you.”

“Thank you for all the fun times and always making us laugh, you will truly be missed,” read another.

Olli’s family said last week that they believe he committed suicide “due to the pain and sadness of this terrible incident,” which left him “traumatized and unable to speak.”

His family said in a statement to Surrey Police last week: ‘Our son Oliver returned home from work on Saturday traumatized and unable to speak. He was the victim of a terrifying attack and a high-profile robbery at his workplace, which was later widely shared on social media.

Oliver pictured with his girlfriend Alana Dredge. She described it as their ‘last photo together’

A CCTV screen capture, released by the Metropolitan Police, of one of two unarmed men who stole a number of valuable watches

‘Sadly, we believe that Oliver subsequently took his own life due to the fear and grief of this terrible incident.

‘As a family we are devastated by the loss of our beautiful, funny, loyal boy, who lit up every room he entered.’

In a statement on Instagram, the store’s owners said Olli “should never have been alone in the office.”

The store said: “The suspects targeted our store for three days, posing as potential customers, waiting for a vulnerability and the right time to strike. Unfortunately, the attempt on Saturday resulted in a violent robbery of which Olli became the victim.’

A man and a woman, both in their 30s, have now been arrested in connection with the incident.

The woman has been released pending further investigation, while the man has been released on bail.

The store revealed a range of security measures had been put in place, including panic buttons, alarms, smoke screens and security doors, but the company said these were not used during the “tragic event” through no fault of anyone else.

Paying tribute to Mr White, a spokesperson for 247 Kettles said: ‘It is with great sadness that we share the heartbreaking news of the passing of our beloved Oliver, who was a close friend for over twenty years before joining us at 247 Kettles.

Two unarmed men who stole some valuable watches from the store

Watch dealer 247 Kettles admitted that Oliver White should not have been alone in the showroom (photo)

‘During his association with us, Oliver made a long-lasting impact on the watch community as a whole – suppliers and customers alike were taken back by Oliver’s vibrant spirit and kind heart and his loss is deeply felt by all who knew him.

“Oliver had an incredible work ethic and a passion for satisfying customers. He enjoyed working 24 hours a day and even after office hours to ensure customers were satisfied.

‘As a company, we remain temporarily closed due to the loss of our friend. Any messages/requests will be collected upon your return. Our thoughts are with all of Oliver’s family at this time.”

Last week, Chief Inspector Scott Mather, of the Met’s Flying Squad, said: ‘First and foremost, our thoughts remain with Mr White’s family and friends at this incredibly difficult time. We ask that they be given the privacy they need to grieve.

‘We are working tirelessly to get them the answers they need and are making good progress with our investigation.

‘We would urge anyone with information that could help us to contact us as soon as possible.

‘The images we have provided are of good quality and someone must recognize the men we need to talk to. If you do not wish to contact the police, please contact Crimestoppers anonymously.’