Dramatic moment Range Rover driven through jeweller's window before have-a-go heroes give raider 'good kicking'

WEST END FINAL

Get our award-winning daily news email featuring exclusive stories, opinion and expert analysis

I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice.

The is the dramatic moment robbers drove a Range Rover through a jeweller’s front window to steal gems worth £150,000 before one was given “a good kicking” by have-a-go heroes.

Ben Wegener, 34, and two other masked men jumped out of the vehicle, having narrowly avoided queuing customers, and smashed glass display cases with a sledgehammer and hammer.

Passers-by gathered outside as the trio ransacked the Sultan store in Uxbridge Road, Shepherd’s Bush last October, Isleworth crown court heard.

As the men tried to flee with jewellery in bags, members of the public collared Wegener, kicking and punching him to the ground and detained him until police arrived. The other two escaped.

A Range Rover smashed through the front of the jewellers

Jailing Wegener for 10 years yesterday, judge Giles Curtis-Raleigh said: “You wanted to get in and get out as fast as possible but you couldn’t do that as you were apprehended. You got away but not very far.

Masked men jumped out of the car before smashing cabinets

“You were seen struggling on the floor of the shop and were given a good kicking. Some might have decided that was exactly what you deserve.”

The thieves made off with £150k of gems

He added: “You say you are sorry to the victims ... criminals do not understand how awful, traumatising and shocking it is for those people.”

Shop owner Jamal Sarhan, 34, thanked the public who intervened but said the raid nearly put him out of business.

Jamal Sarhan, manager of jewellers
BBC

He and his business partner had to fork out £102,000 to repair the damage and only £2,000 of the jewellery was recovered.

Mr Sarhan told the Standard: “It was the sort of thing you see in movies. There was a loud crash and I thought they were going to kill someone driving into a shop of people.

The smashed up cabinets after thieves ram raided Shepherds Bush jewellers

“When I saw the sledgehammers, I believed my children would never see me again. I told them to take whatever they liked, ‘But please do not hurt anyone’ ... that the public jumped in to help shows that we are all sick and tired of these smash-and-grab robberies.”

Wegener pleaded guilty to robbery, dangerous driving, possession of an offensive weapon, criminal damage and receiving stolen goods at a previous hearing. Thomas Mayall, defending Wegener in court, said he only intended to act as a driver on the job to pay off a £1,000 crack cocaine debt.

Ben Wegener has been jailed

He became more involved when the vehicle became wedged in the store front and “with adrenaline pumping” he got out armed with a CS spray.

Police said the Range Rover was recovered. It had been stolen from an address in Wandsworth earlier that month and was displaying false number plates.

Police are hunting the other robbers. Anyone with information concerning their identity is asked to call police on 101, quoting CAD 5782/25 Oct, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in