A vicious robber is yet to be caught as detectives issue chilling new footage showing his latest stunt. Dubbed the ‘Night Watcher’, the thief has been filmed on CCTV confronting a 63-year-old woman in Sevenoaks, Kent. The man’s voice can be heard during the £1.5 million jewellery raid as police share the audio with hope of finally capturing him.
The armed criminal pistol-whipped the woman in June last year where he carried out a ‘professional’ robbery after approaching her in the front garden of her remote home. He was captured running towards her while appearing to clutch his pistol by the barrel. The raider then grabbed the homeowner as she walked towards her front door.
The shocking footage, broadcast on BBC’s Crimewatch Live today, shows the wanted thief demanding for the woman’s keys. The victim’s screams can be heard as she is held at gunpoint towards the garage where he forces her to open a safe.
The CCTV video and audio caught the raider saying: “The key to the garage. Open it! Open the garage. Open the garage. Open it!”
Following this, the Sevenoak’s woman is made to go into her house where she is instructed to open a second safe before the suspect hits her across the head with his gun, splitting her forehead open.
Using electrical cables from lamps, the victim’s hands were then tied up as the Night Watcher continued to raid her home for more valuable items.
One hour after the attack, the woman’s husband came home and found her, describing the scene like a “horror movie”. Speaking for the first time since the incident on Crimewatch Live today, March 18, the victim, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: “It was a lovely sunny day. All of a sudden there was this armed robber pointing a gun at me. I was shocked. He grabbed my collar and told me to open the safes.”
This is not the robber’s first attack as he is wanted for a multitude of similar raids dating back to 2006 in Surrey, Sussex, Kent, London and Berkshire – this could make the Sevenoak’s attack his 18th target.
“He split my forehead open with a gun,” the woman continued. “There was blood everywhere, in my eyes. He tied my hands and then my feet and then tied them together. The pain was excruciating.
“He then put a chair on my back and I lay there in sheer panic. I thought “oh my goodness, is he going to kill me?”.
Following the June raid, the suspect fled on a bicycle with more than 50 items which included diamond earrings, a sapphire necklace, watches and rings.
Police said their investigation remains ongoing, and the raider is now also being formally linked to at least five other Kent burglaries since 2016, stealing items worth a total of more than £600,000.
A reward of £10,000 has been offered for any information leading to the conviction of the Sevenoaks robbery suspect.
Anyone with information which may help the investigation should call Kent Police on 01622 652006 quoting reference 46/102682/24. Crimestoppers can also be contacted anonymously on 0800 555111, or by using their online form.