A CHILLING recording of the ‘Night Watcher’ who tied up and beat an elderly pensioner in a £1.8million raid has been revealed.
Cops are urgently hunting the violent thug who attacked a 63-year-old on her doorstep in Sevenoaks, Kent, on the afternoon of June 21.
CCTV shows the thug running up behind his lone victim[/caption]
He holds what appears to be a gun[/caption]
The raider shoves the pistol in his victim’s face[/caption]
He leads her towards the garage at gun point[/caption]
His voice could be heard in chilling audio[/caption]
The suspect struck the lone victim with a gun before tying her up like something out of a “horror movie”.
The fiend fled with 50 pieces of jewellery, including diamond-encrusted earrings, a sapphire pendant and watches.
It is believed the brute could be the Night Watcher, who has carried out raids from 2006 across Surrey, Sussex, Kent, London and Berks.
Detectives have now released a disturbing audio of the suspect’s voice and new CCTV.
The yob can be seen lurching towards her holding what appears to be a pistol, by the barrel with the grip exposed, and grabbing her.
In new video released on BBC’s Crimewatch Live today, the suspected ‘Night Watcher’ demands keys for safes.
The woman’s haunting screams can be heard as she’d forced into the garage at gunpoint.
In the hair-raising audio, the violent raider can be heard saying: “The key…to the garage.
“Open it! Open the garage. Open the garage. Open it!”
His voice becomes more stressed as he makes the demands before leading her into the house to access more safes.
Linguistic experts have said the suspect’s accent is of someone from the “prosperous southern counties”.
He then hit her with the gun, splitting her forehead open, before binding her hands and feet with electrical cables.
The sicko got away on a bicycle with over 50 items of jewellery worth £2 million – including rings, diamond-encrusted earrings, a sapphire pendant and watches.
The traumatised victim was found by her husband about an hour after the “mindless and violent” attack.
He travelled to the property by train[/caption]
Another shot of the suspect’s distinctive red soled trainers[/caption]
CCTV from the train shows him wearing a cream hat[/caption]
The husband said previously: “Finding my injured wife with her hands and legs bound was shocking and that image will stay with me.
“It’s what you might expect to see in a horror movie.”
The woman, who wants to remain anonymous, spoke for the first time on Crimewatch Live today.
She said: “It was a lovely sunny day.
“All of a sudden there was this armed robber pointing a gun at me.
“I was shocked. He grabbed my collar and told me to open the safes.”
She added: “He split my forehead open with gun. There was blood everywhere, in my eyes.
“He tied my hands and then my feet and then tied them together. The pain was excruciating.
“He then put a chair on my my back and I lay there in sheer panic. I thought ‘oh my goodness is he going to kill me?”
The victim believed her aggressor was “pretty professional” and had “done this many times”.
She branded him a “complete coward” for senselessly inflicting her head injury.
Detectives have uncovered their suspect travelled by train to the property, through Staplehurst, Marden and Hildenborough stations.
The man was wearing a balaclava, cream coloured baseball cap and had trainers with distinctive red soles.
He also sometimes wore a high-visibility top when cycling and carried a bag which was described as possibly a Timbuk2 brand.
The force have formally linked him to at least five other burglaries in Kent since 2016 totalling more than £600,000.
Detective Inspector Maxine Harris of Kent Police appeared on the BBC One programme to talk about the investigation.
The type of bag he may have been carrying[/caption]
She said: “We are continuing to make significant and extensive enquiries to track down the man responsible for this cowardly assault and burglary.
“It is possible he has strong connections to the Staplehurst area, although we are not discounting that he may live outside of Kent.
“He should not be approached.
DI Harris added: “Our officers have been making further house-to-house enquiries throughout the Staplehurst area and we are now also
urging residents to listen to the audio recording of the suspect’s voice, which includes demands made to his terrified victim.
“If you think this voice sounds even vaguely familiar to someone you may know it is vital that you contact us.”
The husband of the victim in the Sevenoaks robbery spoke in August saying: “I guess it has to be said that the events of June 21 have undoubtedly changed our lives.
“The mindless and violent attack on my 63 year old wife was what you might expect to see in a horror movie.
“Finding my injured wife with her hands and legs bound was truly shocking and that image will stay with me for a very long time.
“Our home no longer feels like our safe haven, but a constant reminder of the mental and physical trauma inflicted by a callous armed robber wearing an intimidating balaclava.
Night Watcher’s reign of terror
January 2006 – Leatherhead, Surrey
January 2009 – Weybridge, Surrey
September 2011 – Weybridge
May 2013 – Virginia Water, Surrey
November 2014 – Tadworth, Surrey
January 2015 – Maidenhead, Berkshire
June 2015 – Virginia Water
January 2016 – Goodwood, West Sussex
November 2016 – Sevenoaks, Kent
January 2017 – Maidstone, Kent
April 2017 – Virginia Water
October 2017 – Tadworth
February 2019 – Reigate, Surrey
August 2020 – Tonbridge, Kent
September 2021 – Tonbridge
October 2021 – Bromley, London
January 2022 – Tonbridge
“It is so important that the investigating officers at Kent Police find this cowardly villain and prevent him from attacking other vulnerable and innocent people in their homes.”
Kent Police are also working with the National Crime Agency as part of their probe.
If the burglary was executed by the Night Watcher, this would have been his 18th hit.
The prolific thief is wanted for a series of similar raids dating back to 2006 across Surrey, Sussex, Kent, London and Berkshire.
Despite the violent crime spree beginning nearly a decade ago, detectives did not link the raids until 2017.
Officers have previously speculated the Night Watcher, who works alone, may be a former soldier using his military training to carry out the raids and avoid detection.
Detectives think he stakes out the homes for days and sometimes breaks in before the robbery to check out the layout and discover where safes are.
The planning, ruthless efficiency and the fact he uses cable ties on his victims all point to a military background, police say.
His victims include former tennis champion Boris Becker and French ex-footballer Nicolas Anelka.
He has taken valuable jewellery – including a ring that once belonged to Charles II.
Other wealthy targets have included the Duke and Duchess of Richmond, who were attacked in their stately home, Goodwood House, West Sussex, in 2016.
A £10,000 Crimestoppers reward has been offered for information that leads to the conviction of the suspect in the Sevenoaks robbery.
Anyone with information which may assist the investigation should call Kent Police on 01622 652006 quoting reference 46/102682/24.
You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111, or by using the online form.
Suspected Night Watcher burglaries in Kent since 2016
• November 2016 Ide Hill – jewellery and watches worth around £60,000.
• January 2017 Maidstone – jewellery and watches worth around £75,000 along with cash.
• August 2020 Marden – jewellery and watches more than £100,000. As well as cash.
• September 2021 Marden – jewellery and watches worth £23,000.
• January 2022 Shipbourne – jewellery and watches around £400,000 as well as cash.
A blue sapphire bracelet taken in the raid[/caption]
A diamond ring was also stolen[/caption]
The suspect made of with nearly £2million in jewellery, watches and cash[/caption]
Another priceless item robbed[/caption]
