Man jailed for stealing £20,000 Rolex from 86-year-old seller

David Williams, an 86-year-old from Greater Manchester, was robbed after advertising his Rolex for sale on Facebook Marketplace. The case shows how a supposed in-person sale can be used to target a seller at home, leaving him traumatised and out of pocket.

Tichine Asan, 27, used a false name to arrange a meeting, then followed Williams home from Sale after claiming he had gone to the wrong location. He snatched the pensioner’s bag and slashed his car tyres before fleeing with the watch, valued at about £20,000. Police traced him through the fake account and phone data; he was jailed for two years and given a ten-year restraining order. The watch has not been found.