Jeweller’s Front Door Smashed in £44k High Street Heist
On 29 October 2021, Frederick Webb forced open a jeweller’s front door on the High Street and smashed glass cabinets. He stole jewellery worth nearly £44,000 before making a getaway—on an e-scooter.
Thief’s Bizarre Attempt to Buy Tobacco Ends in Panic
Webb wasn’t done. Just days later, on 3 November, he returned to the same High Street and tried to buy four pouches of tobacco. When his card was declined, he fled without paying.
Quick Arrest After Bank Card Drop at Railway Station
Police caught up with Webb at the railway station shortly afterward. Before his arrest, he tossed a bank card on the ground. The card had been stolen from a victim’s handbag and used fraudulently by Webb for three purchases earlier that day.
Stolen Jewellery Recovered, Criminal Sentenced
- Officers searched Webb’s home and recovered most of the stolen jewels.
- Webb, 36, from Vicarage Road, Tunbridge Wells, was charged with burglary, theft, and three fraud counts.
- He pleaded guilty at Maidstone Crown Court and was sentenced on 24 February 2022 to two years and five months in prison.
Police Constable Nell Shortis said: “Webb brazenly stole from Tunbridge Wells businesses and targeted a visitor to the town. His prison sentence is entirely justified.”
