Man admits part in £40k rings raid on city shop

A NOTORIOUS jewel thief whose “prolific” campaign of raids was stopped only after he appeared on Crimewatch has been jailed for stealing rings worth £40,000 from a Dundee jewellers.

Michael Walker is already serving a lengthy prison term for a string of thefts at jewellers in the north of England.

But he was ordered to serve another 12 months behind bars after Dundee Sheriff Court was shown CCTV footage of his raid at Henderson Jewellers in Union Street.

Father-of-one Walker, from Liverpool, was seen loitering in the shop’s entrance alcove before opening a door and summoning a sales assistant.

The assistant then followed him out of the store to look at rings in a window display before they walked back and went to retrieve the jewellery.

The woman brought two items to Walker. He was then invited to try on both rings. An accomplice — who has never been traced — then opened the store’s door and Walker bolted from the shop with the rings. Fiscal depute Vicki Bell told the court: “The first ring is an emerald cut diamond in an 18-carat white gold band and is valued at £25,000.

“The second is a brilliant cut diamond set in a six-core setting on an 18-carat white gold band and is valued at £14,500.

“The second man who came to the door was shouting ‘come on, let’s go’ and in response the accused ran..

“The rings were never recovered. This offence was the first in a course of conduct that then followed at other jewellery shops.”

Walker, 32, pleaded guilty on indictment to a charge of theft.

Defence solicitor Susan Gibson said: “He is serving a two years and 10 months sentence for thefts to a value of £150,000 i mposed at Liverpool Crown Court in December 2016.”

Walker had featured on BBC’s Crimewatch programme last summer as police investigated a series of thefts in England.

Michael Walker