Appeal after £4,800 Rolex stolen from changing rooms in HarrogateJewellery thieves strike twice at Harrogate homes

Jewellery thieves have struck twice in a matter of days at separate homes in Harrogate.

North Yorkshire Police issued appeals today for two incidents that happened in the run-up to Christmas.

In the first one, jewellery worth thousands of pounds was stolen from a home at Spacey Houses, Pannal, while the victims were away for the weekend.

They returned to discover they had been broken into and lost items of sentimental as well as high financial value. The items include a vintage Cortebert Champagne watch, an 18-carat gold engagement ring and a gold-plated Omega watch.

The force said in a statement the theft occurred between 4pm on Friday, December 15 and 6.30pm on Sunday, December 17, adding:

“Enquiries are still ongoing to identify the suspect. Police are requesting the public’s assistance to help establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.

“In particular, officers are appealing for information about items that were taken from the property, and urging people to get in touch if they are offered them.”

Police said the following items were stolen:

A vintage Courtebert champaign dial watch with gold-plated batons and chrome case with grand prix engraving on the back.

A vintage Omega wrist watch with yellow gold case with personalised engraving on the back.

A vintage Titus Geneve chronograph watch with gold casing.

A gold-plated Omega watch which is a C Master model made before the 1960s.

A Rolex made watch which is branded Ingersol on the dial but says ‘Rolex Watch Company’ on the back of the case.

An engagement ring. It is a Lily Arkwright Macey oval in 18-carat yellow gold with shoulder-set diamonds and a 1.2 carrot diamond on the top.

Anyone with information can email Benjamin.Ambler2@northyorkshire.police.uk or dial 101 and ask for PC 216 Ambler. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Quote reference number 12230239018.

Victims ‘devastated’ by loss of wedding jewellery

Police said the victims of the second burglary had been left “devastated” by the loss of gold wedding jewellery.

Thieves broke into a home in the Woodlands Walk area of Harrogate and stole wedding and baby jewellery during the week beginning December 18.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said:

“Anyone who’s had wedding jewellery or other deeply sentimental items stolen will understand how heartbreaking this type of crime is.”

“This has had a significant impact on the victims and we are appealing to anybody who may have recently seen or bought items in the photographs.

“We are also appealing to anyone who may have witnessed suspicious activity in the area during this time to come forward and provide details, which may prove essential in the investigation of this incident.”

A selection of the stolen items are photographed above and in the main image, but a number more were taken by the burglars.

Anyone with information can email PC Hawley on joseph.hawley@northyorkshire.police.uk or dial the force on 101. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Quote reference number 12230241333.

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Harrogate clergyman to feature in ‘Rolex killer’ Channel 5 documentary tonight

A Harrogate reverend will feature in a Channel 5 documentary tonight, which re-counts the crimes of the notorious ‘Rolex killer’.

Revd David Hoskins, who was a minister at Harrogate Baptist Church on Victoria Avenue at the time, will talk about his encounters with Albert Walker, a Canadian fugitive posing as David Davis.

‘Davis’ was a member of his congregation in the early 1990s. Unbeknown to him or the rest of his congregation, Walker — who claimed he and his daughter had recently moved to Harrogate after “selling his New York bank and looking for a quieter life” — was on Interpol’s most-wanted list at the time.

Reverend Hoskins told the Stray Ferret that Walker and his daughter fooled everyone:

“They attended church most Sundays.

“He was urbane, dressed in blazer and striped tie, dark and good looking — he was a real smooth operator.”

However, 52-year-old Walker was actually on the run from officials after fleecing 70 clients out of nearly $4 million back in Canada.

Although never successful in swindling the members of Harrogate Baptist Church financially, Walker certainly tried, Mr Hoskins added.

He said:

“It was around the time ICI was making a lot of people redundant.

“I called a meeting to discuss how this may affect local people and he attended. He posed as a financial advisor and said he could give advice on how to invest.

“Luckily, no one in the congregation actually give him any money, but all of us bar one member, Molly, were fooled by him.”

Mr Hoskins said the conman, who lived on St Leonard’s Oval, was a “charmer”, but noted his daughter Noel, whose real name was Sheena, was “quiet and didn’t have much to say”.

It was later discovered Walker also pretended his teenage daughter was his wife.

Harrogate Baptist Church. Pic: Betty Longbottom via Geograph.

The reverend told the Stray Ferret that after around 18 months, Walker and his daughter “vanished”. Mr Hoskins said neither he, nor his congregation, heard a word from the pair again.

It was in Harrogate, however, that Walker met his soon-to-be murder victim, 51-year-old Ronald Platt, and his girlfriend Elaine Boyes.

After befriending the couple, who lived and worked in the town at the time, they told the conman about their dream to one-day move to Canada.

Walker, who was still posing as David Davis, offered to make them directors of his new company to help them save money to make the big move.

Eventually, after funding their retirement move to Canada, Walker assumed Mr Platt’s identity.

However, after Mr Platt and Ms Boyle’s relationship broke down abroad and she moved back to Harrogate, Walker moved to Essex to continue his bogus life.

Ronald Platt.

In 1996, after Mr Platt had also moved to Essex, Walker took him on a boat trip off Plymouth. On the boat, the Lady Jane, he struck Mr Platt unconscious and tied a weighted anchor to his trousers before throwing him overboard.

Weeks later, two fishermen dropped their nets and discovered Mr Platt’s body, which was identified thanks to the Rolex Oyster on his wrist.

Mr Platt was wearing the Rolex Oyster at the time of his death. It had been serviced at a Harrogate jeweller several times, which helped to identify his body and later led to Walker being dubbed the Rolex killer.

The case was eventually solved, and Albert Walker was sentenced to life in prison for embezzlement and murder at Exeter Crown Court 1988, but was transferred to a Canadian prison in 2005.

When asked how he felt after discovering Walker’s crimes, Revd Hoskins said:

“We were just sad that we hadn’t picked up on it — it was so shocking.”

Walker, now 77, was granted parole in June this year after serving 26 years behind bars.

The Devil in Disguise: The Murder of Ronald Platt will air on Channel 5 at 10pm tonight.

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Harrogate man stole £24,000 watch from Rudding Park Hotel

A Harrogate man has been given a community order after stealing a £24,000 Rolex watch from Rudding Park Hotel.

Jake Perks, 32, of Jennyfield Drive, pleaded guilty to theft when he appeared before Harrogate Magistrates Court yesterday.

The court heard how Perks had visited the hotel on a spa day with his girlfriend on April 22 this year.

The named victim, who owned the Rolex GMT Master II watch, had left it in the changing rooms to go in the shower.

On his way out of the hotel sometime later, he realised he did not have his watch on and could not find it in the hotel.

The Rolex was reported stolen to police and Perks later made a full admission to taking it after noticing it in the changing rooms.

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The prosecution said he handed the watch into police after it was in his possession “for a number of weeks”.

His defence lawyer said it was “an offence committed on impulse” and that he had no previous criminal history.

“He accepts that he has taken the watch and it was out of character.”

The defence added that Perks had been going through a long divorce with his ex-wife and had personal issues.

The magistrates said they accepted that the matter was “an unfortunate lapse in judgement”.

However, the court issued Perks with a community order and ordered him to carry out 60 hours unpaid work.

He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £95 and £85 court costs.