Locks and Security News: your weekly locks and security industry newsletter
17th April 2024 Issue no. 701

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Smartwater nabs serial jewellery raiders

As shown in a recent episode of Crimewatch evidence provided by SmartWater forensic solution that was sprayed onto a gun during an armed robbery has helped Hampshire Constabulary to convict three serial robbers.

Elliot Burton, Luke Nash and Simon Waller were convicted for their roles in a string of armed robberies on high class jewellers committed around the country over a two year period. Amongst the gang’s targets were jewellery shops in Birmingham, Chester, Cheltenham, Harrogate and St Albans as well as Jeremy France Jewellers in Winchester. Property stolen during the robberies was estimated to be worth in the region of £2million.

The group made a decisive error when they attempted a second robbery at Jeremy France Jewellers, as the store had opted to install a SmartWater Spray System following the first attack. This mistake would ultimately lead to their conviction. As the trio entered the store wearing balaclavas and wielding a handgun shop staff immediately activated the intruder alarm system. As a result the three offenders left the store empty handed with all three passing under the SmartWater spray, tagging them in a chemically coded forensic liquid, linking them with the crime scene.

Five months after the aborted robbery, the three men were arrested at separate addresses in the Birmingham area. All premises were fully searched and a handgun was recovered at one of the suspects’ addresses. Upon inspection under a UV light, traces of SmartWater were clearly visible and forensic analysis of the SmartWater samples traced the gun back to the Winchester robbery.

Elliot Burton was convicted of taking part in nine raids, whilst Luke Nash was found guilty of conspiracy to rob, acquiring criminal property, money laundering and possessing an imitation firearm at the time of committing an offence. Simon Waller pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to a number of robberies committed over an 18 month period. The three men were given a combined sentence of 28 years in jail.

SmartWater Chief Executive, Phil Cleary, said: The conviction of these three violent and ruthless again underlines the role that SmartWater is playing in assisting the UK Police Service, providing them with robust forensic evidence which has been upheld in court on numerous occasions.”

The images shown are screen grabs taken from the Crimewatch broadcast and show from top: Elliot Burton, Luke Nash and Simon Waller

Dave Reynolds
Corporate Communications Manager

SmartWater Technology Ltd
Tel:    0870 242 8899
Direct: 01952 204 114

5th January 2011