AN Ellesmere Port man who stole watches belonging to the Duke of Westminster has avoided being sent to prison "by the skin of his teeth".

Matthew Turner, 24, of Cartmel Drive, Great Sutton, previously pleaded guilty at the first opportunity to stealing three watches from the Duke of Westminster, Hugh Grosvenor's bedroom at Eaton Hall on the outskirts of Chester, in an offence dated between August 7 and August 31, 2022.

He also admitted stealing £60 from work colleague Callum Parry's wallet at Top Gear Tyres in Ellesmere Port, just before Christmas 2022.

Honorary Recorder of Chester Judge Steven Everett, sentencing at Chester Crown Court on Friday, January 26, said while the financial values of the crimes were significantly different, both victims were equally affected by Turner's offending.

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Prosecuting, Peter Hussey said Turner had been employed by David Shone as contractors who had been trusted to carry out renovation works on the Eaton Estate for over 50 years. During August 2022, the Duke of Westminster was away from the estate while works were carried out, and Turner had been given clear instructions on where to work on the upper floor.

But Turner – who the court heard turned to crime due to a cocaine debt – opened the Duke of Westminster's bedroom and stole three watches. One was a Cartier London Tank JC wristwatch, made in 1973 and sold to the Duke by Cartier watch expert Harry Fane for £18,000.

The other two watches, totalling £12,000 in value, were a Panerai Luminor Marina and a Breitling, the latter having been a 21st birthday present from the Duke's parents and of significant sentimental value.

The court heard the theft came to light when "by astonishing coincidence", Mr Fane saw the Cartier watch being auctioned off in November 2022 and recognised the serial number as that matching the one he had sold to Hugh Grosvenor. Police were contacted and were able to stop the auction before a Japanese buyer was able to claim it.

While that watch was returned, the other two were not, with Judge Everett suspecting Turner had sold at least one of them to his drug dealer to pay off debts.

The judge also remarked he knew that sadly Mr Fane had since passed away, having read his obituary.

In a victim personal statement, the Duke of Westminster said the impact of the burglary had been "significant", as the trust that had been established with contractor staff had "destabilised", and he had felt "very uncomfortable" that a trusted person had gone into his bedroom, a "private and extremely personal place", to steal.

In a separate statement, Mr Shone said he was "mortified" when he learned one of his employees had carried out the offence.

Having been dismissed from the company prior to the offending being known, Turner acquired a job at Top Gear Tyres, where on December 23, 2022, he stole £60 from a wallet in a coat belonging to Callum Parry. The incident was caught on CCTV.

Mr Parry said he had come to regard Turner as a trusted friend, and as a result of this theft had struggled to trust people around him, while the financial loss was difficult with paying bills just before Christmas.

Turner had no previous convictions and one caution for possession of ketamine. The judge said it was, however, known Turner had been taking cocaine and was therefore breaking the law.

Defending, Myles Wilson said Turner had been spending hundreds of pounds a week on cocaine and had got into debt with his dealer, which he could not manage even with his salary.

He "self-destructed" after losing his jobs and was homeless for a time last year, becoming so malnourished on the streets he was hospitalised with a twisted bowel.

Since then, Turner had been taken in by his father and stepmother, and had been working with his father.

Mr Wilson said Turner was no longer "addicted to cocaine" and recognised it had masked issues he had, including anxiety.

He had also stayed out of trouble in the year since the offending took place, and was assessed as a low risk of reconviction, the court heard.

Judge Everett said: "These are wicked offences," and the decision on whether to send Turner to prison immediately was "a difficult exercise".

He added "on balance", if Turner had been before the court a year ago, he would have been jailed, and it was only the delay in bringing the case to court and Turner staying out of trouble that had saved him.

Turner was handed a 20-month prison sentence, suspended for two years.

He must complete 200 hours unpaid work and up to 30 days of a rehabilitation activity requirement.

The judge said it would not be appropriate to order compensation for the Duke of Westminster, but said it was appropriate for Turner to pay Mr Parry £500 for the financial loss and upset caused.

  • Nathan Elliott, 30, of Faraday Road, Whitby, Ellesmere Port, and Kayleigh Gordon, 33, of Houghton Lane, Ellesmere Port, have both denied charges of handling stolen goods and possession of criminal property between August 7 and November 23, 2022, in a hearing at Chester Crown Court on Friday, January 26. A two-day trial is listed for the two defendants in the week commencing December 9, and both defendants were handed unconditional bail.