London hunts 'Wimbledon Prowler' behind host of high-end burglaries

LONDON – Agence France-Presse

Residential properties in Wimbledon village, south west London on April 2, 2016. AFP Photo

Cunning gentleman thieves have seduced romantics from the days of Robin Hood through to Hollywood's heyday -- and now London is transfixed by the real-life antics of the "Wimbledon Prowler".
 
 The prolific burglar is suspected of carrying out hundreds of break-ins around one of London's most exclusive neighborhoods, making off with assets worth more than 10 million ($14 million, 12 million euros).
 
The quaint, upscale neighborhood of Wimbledon Village in the British capital's smart southwest is sheltered from the hustle of city life, and known mainly for its famous tennis tournament and multi-million pound mansions.
 
But fear now stalks the leafy streets in the form of the "Wimbledon Prowler", as the light-fingered criminal has been nicknamed by the British press.
 
In a decade of deception, the thief has committed more than 200 burglaries, making mockeries of locks, alarms and security camera systems to pilfer luxury watches, jewelry and cash, detective inspector Dan O'Sullivan told AFP.    

The intruder's high-profile targets have included German tennis legend Boris Becker and French former Real Madrid and Arsenal footballer Nicolas Anelka, who chased the burglar from his house.
 
His biggest single trophy is believed to be a 1955 Rolex Submariner watch valued at around 500,000.            
"In the UK there is no one that gets close to him, in terms of the period of time that he's been offending and the financial gain," said O'Sullivan.
 
"The law of averages says that you're going to make a mistake one day, but we've never actually got close to him, which indicates he's very good. He's disciplined."  

That the crook remains at large is not for the lack of trying, with media reporting that police have even hidden in trees to catch him in the act.
 
Starved of solid leads, Scotland Yard launched an appeal for witnesses in March after a particularly productive period for the burglar between last September and early 2016, with three to four break-ins committed per week.
 
"When you look back at the history of the last 10 years, that is what he seems to do," O'Sullivan said.    

"He seems to smash 20 to 30 jobs over a couple of months and then he seems to go to ground."  

From the scant evidence, police believe the crook is a man aged around 35, of medium height and is described as athletic, agile, organised, disciplined and likely knowledgeable about police investigation techniques.    

The thief leaves no evidence behind such as fingerprints and is aware of the location of surveillance cameras, hiding his face with his hand.    

O'Sullivan did not rule out the possibility that the hunted man could be a former soldier, given his self-control and attention to detail.            

"This individual seems to be one of the 10 percent of burglars who plan a crime," said retired policeman Calvin Beckford, who now operates The Crime Prevention Website, the largest open-source online resource of its kind in Europe.
 
"This guy is clearly very cautious, is security-aware and spends time making observations, minimizing his chances of being seen and detected," he told AFP, advising Wimbledon residents to review their security systems.
 
O'Sullivan believes that the felon is motivated by more than just money, saying he was probably seduced by the "kick, the thrill of doing it".
 
None of the burglaries have led to physical harm, with one victim telling AFP: "He comes and goes, but so far there's never been any evidence of any violence."  

"We don't think he's life-threatening, we don't lose sleep but we hope that he'll be caught," the victim added -- but that may be a while in coming.
 
"He's now gone to ground," explained O'Sullivan. "We're just waiting for him to come again and when he comes again, we'll be ready for him.
 
"Like him, for us, it's the thrill of the chase because one day, we're going to get lucky."