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Andy Carroll
Andy Carroll told the trial he believed O’Brien had a gun. Photograph: Nigel French/PA
Andy Carroll told the trial he believed O’Brien had a gun. Photograph: Nigel French/PA

Man jailed for trying to steal footballer Andy Carroll's £22,000 watch

This article is more than 6 years old

Jack O’Brien was on motorbike when he pulled alongside West Ham striker’s Jeep in north-east London and demanded watch

A serial thief has been jailed for attempting to steal the Premier League striker Andy Carroll’s £22,000 wristwatch in a drive-by robbery.

Jack O’Brien, 23, was on a motorbike when he swooped on the England player’s Jeep Wrangler near Hainault, north-east London, as Carroll was driving home from West Ham’s training ground last year.

Carroll told the trial he believed O’Brien had a gun when he pulled alongside him at a set of traffic lights and demanded the watch on 2 November.

The 28-year-old was then pursued by two suspects on motorbikes as he tried to escape, forcing him on to the wrong side of the road as he drove back to the training ground, which had security staff.

O’Brien, a convicted burglar, of Romford, east London, was found guilty of attempted robbery by a jury of 12 people after six hours and 25 minutes of deliberations at Basildon crown court. Judge John Lodge sentenced O’Brien to six years for the attempted robbery on Carroll and five years and three months for a string of other offences.

Lodge told him: “I have no doubt at all in saying that by reason of the planning of that sophisticated offence, the length of time that you pursued that vehicle, and that you were again using your motorcycle equipment as a disguise, you are at the very top of the bracket of culpability.”

The defendant was found hiding below a mattress at a property in Dagenham, east London, when police went to arrest him 10 days after the botched robbery.

The striker told the court he had been scared when the motorcycle driver approached his vehicle and said: “Nice watch.”

He had initially thought the rider, who was wearing a crash helmet with a visor up, was the boxer Kevin Mitchell pulling up for a chat. But as he went to drive off, the man said: “Give me your watch.”

Carroll told the court he then did a U-turn, but was pursued by two motorbike drivers.

In a panicked 999 call played to the jury, Carroll told emergency responders: “There’s two motorbikes, one’s behind me pulling out a gun, I don’t know what to do.” He added that he had “probably just hit about 10 cars” during his getaway.

No firearm was found by police and the second driver has not been located.

A motorcycle helmet, Ducati jacket and a Suzuki motorbike were all seized, which police believed O’Brien used in the attempt on Carroll. DNA matching the defendant’s was found on the helmet and jacket.

It was heard that similar items had been used for a string of burglaries by O’Brien between October and November last year, in which cash and jewellery were taken. O’Brien previously admitted carrying out five other burglaries and three attempted burglaries between October and November 2016.

Carroll twice gave evidence during the trial – once in person and a second time via video-link, having been collected by police escort from training and taken to Barkingside magistrates court.

He told the court he had seen the robber for about 10 seconds and later identified O’Brien in a police identity parade.

O’Brien claimed he was not the biker in question and, while he had used the motorbike gear for other crimes, he had not on that occasion. His account was rejected by jurors.

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