A man accused of stealing £2million worth of designer watches from a victim who hanged himself the next day has denied robbery.
Junior Kunu, 29, and an accomplice, allegedly held Oliver White, 27, in a chokehold and restrained him with cable ties during a violent raid on May 25.
Afterwards, the alleged robbers are said to have plundered timepieces from the 247 Kettles store on Kew Road, Richmond.
Mr White was found hanged in woodland in Shepperton, Surrey the following day.
Oliver pictured with his girlfriend, Alana Dredge. Surrey Coroner’s Court heard Mr White, from Shepperton, had died from suspension
A 247 Kettles promo video displays the plush, expensive interior of the store
Wearing a light grey jumper, Kunu appeared in Woolwich Crown Court via video link from HMP Thameside today.
He spoke to confirm his name as well as to deny robbing Mr White.
Ms Nwanneka Aik, prosecuting, earlier said: ‘The matter before the court relates to an incident that took place on May 25, 2024.
‘It was a violent robbery that took place at a watch dealership in Richmond.
‘Close to £2m of watches were stolen.’
Kunu, of Mitcham, south London, has a trial date set for November 18 at the same court and it is expected to last five days.
Kunu was remanded in custody ahead of a further case management hearing on September 13.
Surrey Coroner’s Court heard Mr White, from Shepperton, had died from suspension.
He was pronounced dead at 9.59pm on May 26 in a wooded area adjacent to Sheep Walk.
Mr White’s family earlier said in a statement: ‘Our son Oliver returned home from his place of work on Saturday traumatised and unable to speak.
‘He had been the victim of a terrifying attack and high-value robbery at his place of work, which was later shared widely on social media.
Watch dealer Oliver White (pictured) took his own life after robbers raided his shop
‘As a family we are devastated by the loss of our beautiful, funny, loyal boy, who lit up every room he walked into.’
A spokesman for 247 Kettles had posted a statement on Instagram claiming Mr White should have never been alone in the store in the first place.
In a tribute to Mr White, a spokesperson for the store said: ‘It is with profound sadness we share the heartbreaking news of the passing of our beloved Oliver, who was a close friend for 20+ years before working with us at 247 Kettles.
‘In his time working with us Oliver left a long-lasting impact on the watch community as a whole – both suppliers and customers alike were taken back by Oliver’s vibrant spirit and kind heart and his loss is felt deeply by all who knew him.
‘Oliver had an incredible work ethic and a passion for pleasing customers. He liked to work around the clock and even out of hours to ensure customers were satisfied.
‘As a business, we will remain closed temporarily to grieve the loss of our friend. Any messages/requests will be picked up upon our return. Our thoughts are with all of Oliver’s family at this time.’
