‘Rolex watch ripper’ sentenced to seven years in prison for stealing watches

A “Rolex watch thief” who stole watches and jewellery while attacking restaurant diners and motorists at gunpoint has been jailed following a wave of thefts of valuable watches.

Riece Francis travelled around affluent areas of London on a stolen moped to rob wealthy people, Southwark Crown Court heard.

As The Times revealed last year, organised criminals in London are “stealing to order” rare and expensive watches, with some locating potential victims on their social media accounts.

Francis, 23, targeted trendy restaurants and bars or drivers in expensive cars. He admitted 13 charges, including four robberies, one attempted robbery, two thefts and six counts of possessing an imitation firearm.

Joe Weeks, representing the prosecution, said Francis carried out a “campaign of robberies.”

“This