FW: Fence jailed for selling explorer's rare watch

[Warren]

http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/s/20...ers_rare_watch

15/ 7/2008


A CAREER criminal who sold a watch used by a polar explorer stolen during a Weybridge burglary has been jailed.

The Rolex had belonged to Charlie Burton and had been on his wrist when he and Sir Ranulph Fiennes became the first men to circumnavigate the world on its polar axis in the late 70s and early 80s.

Burton died six years ago and the rare and valuable watch was handed on to his son. But it was stripped from the Burton family after a burglary at their home in St Mary’s Road in Weybridge in September last year.

It ended up in the hands of 25-year-old Stephen Jones who has a host of convictions for dishonesty.

Jones went on to sell the unique watch, which has four distinctive hands, to a collector for £4,500.

However, the value of the Rolex could have been at least twice what Jones sold it for and, had it ever been sold legitimately, the reserve price would have been around £40,000 due to its rarity.

Charlie Burton’s son, Mark, who now owns the watch, said he was pleased to have it back.

He said: “It is under lock and key now quite firmly, so it was all a happy ending in the end.”

At Kingston Crown Court on Monday (July 14) Jones was jailed for 12 months for handling stolen goods and fraud by false representation.

Prosecutor Linda Plant said a number of items were taken during the break-in at St Mary’s Road.

“Most important of these was a rare and expensive Rolex watch,” Miss Plant added.

“It was a watch that had been worn by the victim’s father during an exploration of the North Pole.

“It was of significant personal and sentimental value.”

Once in possession of the watch Jones researched its value on the internet and contacted a part time specialist jewellery dealer claiming his name was Mr Hart. The pair met in a London pub and the watch was bought for cash.

“To the dealer’s credit he made further enquiries and discovered that all was not right,” Miss Plant told the court.

“His actions resulted in the watch being recovered and, with further information, Mr Hart — this defendant — was arrested.”

Jones told detectives he had come into possession of the watch “innocently and thought it may be valuable”.

Robert Mitchell, defending, said Jones was “not a threat to the public and had drifted out of control at the age of 13”.

The court heard Jones, of International Way, Hanworth, had previous convictions for handling stolen goods, obtaining property by deception, shop lifting and assault.

In jailing Jones, Judge Paul Dodgson said he had sold on the watch in a “fairly sophisticated way”.

“This is professional handling of stolen goods,” Judge Dodgson added.

“This suggests to me that you have not given up your criminals ways and are actually going up the grades.”

Jones, who admitted handling stolen good and fraud by false representation but was cleared of any involvement in the burglary, will serve half his year-long prison term before being released on licence.

Mr Burton said that although other items had been stolen it was the watch he was most concerned about.

He managed to secure its return thanks to the help of a Rolex dealer.

“I did not think that I would see it again,” he said.

Mr Burton plans to hand on the watch to his son, Charlie.

That is all Rolex owner wants to hear