The family of a watch dealer who was found dead 24 hours after being the victim of a high-value jewelery raid believe he committed suicide.
Oliver White, 27, died at his family home in Shepperton, Middlesex, just a day after two unarmed thieves burst into the 247 Kettles store in affluent Richmond in the south west. London last Saturday and stole dozens of valuable watches.
Gruesome video footage shows one of the robbers holding Oliver in a chokehold while his accomplice sweeps up large numbers of watches and stuffs them into the backpack of the man attacking the young sales manager.
It emerged today that the two men hunted over the robbery had posed as clients during a three-day sting before attacking Mr White. The watch company said this morning that he “should never have been alone” with so many watches on display.
In a statement to Surrey Police, Oliver's family said: '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.
'Sadly, we believe that Oliver subsequently took his own life due to the fear and grief of this terrible incident.
The family of Oliver White, who was found dead at his family home in Shepperton after being the victim of a high-profile guard raid, say they believe he committed suicide.
Oliver pictured with his girlfriend Alana Dredge. She described it as their “last photo together,” taken two weeks ago
Ms Dredge has posted tributes to Oli online after he was found dead on Sunday evening after police were called to Shepperton in Surrey
Richmond-based watch dealer 247 Kettles posted this tribute to Oliver on Instagram
Watch dealer 247 Kettles admitted Oliver should not have been in the showroom alone (pictured) and that no 'strict security procedures' were followed before the robbery
'As a family we are devastated by the loss of our beautiful, funny, loyal boy, who lit up every room he entered.'
After paying tribute to their 'beautiful' boy, Oliver's family also asked for privacy as they mourned their loss.
In a statement on their Instagram account, 247 Kettles said Oliver “should never have been alone in the office on Saturday and so many watches should never have been on display.”
The company further said that despite having strict security procedures in place including panic buttons, alarms, smoke screens and security doors, none of these were followed 'through no fault of anyone' in such a tragic event.
The post also added that the suspects who robbed the store had “posed as potential customers over a three-day period, waiting for a vulnerability and the right moment to strike.”
A close friend of Oliver's, known as Olli, told MailOnline yesterday: 'He was very depressed after the robbery and worried, especially after it was discovered that around £2.8 million worth of watches had been stolen.
'Olli was terrified that he could lose everything he owned and that they might even take his mother's house.
'He was also traumatized by what happened and became very fearful of the impact this robbery could have on his and his family's financial future. He just didn't know what was going to happen.”
Another friend claimed that Olli's fears were heightened due to concerns about the extent of insurance coverage.
He said: 'He wasn't sure if insurance would have covered the theft or if there was any insurance at all. The robbery left him devastated and, combined with the financial uncertainty of who would be responsible, he saw no other way out.
'Olli took it very personally and really believed that he would get all the blame and that it would destroy him.'
Olli, who was said to be in his mid-20s, lived in Shepperton with his mother Amy and stepfather Mark.
Two unarmed thieves (pictured) entered the 247 Kettles store in affluent Richmond, south-west London last Saturday and stole dozens of valuable watches
A CCTV image of one of the robbers stealing a number of valuable watches from the store in Kew Road, Richmond
The Richmond firm said none of its security procedures were followed during Saturday's robbery. In the photo: another look at their watch showroom
Here you can see some of the luxury Rolex watches that 247 Kettles sells
The Richmond-based watch dealer has more than 16,000 followers on Instagram, where they promote a range of luxury timepieces
The devastated couple comforted his heartbroken girlfriend Alana Dredge at the family home today.
A family friend told MailOnline: 'They are going through an incredible amount of pain and it will take a long time for them to get over this.
'Olli was a wonderful son and partner to Alana, and they dreamed of building a life together, but tragically this robbery has taken all that away.'
A spokesperson for 247 Kettles said that Oliver, with his 'vibrant spirit', 'left a long-lasting impact on the watch community as a whole' and that his loss will be 'deeply felt by all who knew him'.
It also added: '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.”
Ms Dredge shared a photo of herself and her partner on holiday on Instagram – saying it was 'our last photo together', taken just two weeks ago.
She wrote, “My sweet boy, I can't believe you're gone. This was our last photo together. This was just 2 weeks ago and now I'll never see you again.
'The last thing you said to me was: I love you. I will cherish you forever, being with you was the best 6 years of my life. I hope you read this from above, I will continue to make you proud.'
Oliver pictured with Mrs. Dredge. The watch dealer's family said he was “traumatized and unable to speak” after being robbed
Mrs Dredge wrote that she loved Oliver more than I can put into words, following the tragic news which came a day after he was the victim of a robbery in Richmond, south-west Londo.
She described how the couple saved to buy their first home together, promising to “buy the exact house you wanted, and it will be your house.”
Ms Dredge, whose account describes her as a hair extension specialist, revealed she was still sending WhatsApp messages to Mr White's phone and said she “hoped this was all a nightmare and you would reply”.
She further said, “I don't know how to do life without you, my whole world is over.
'My life will never be the same again. I can't explain how much I love you. I will never stop loving you. I'm so numb I can't cry anymore.
'I have never felt such pain before, you were the only person who could comfort me like no other and make all my pain disappear.
“Now that you're not here, I don't know what I'm going to do. I love you more, Oliver, than I can put into words.”
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