Two thieves made off with approximately £60,000 worth of gold chains after a brief smash-and-grab at a rural workshop in Cornwall, England, and subsequently assaulted the jeweller when he pursued them. The incident occurred on Thursday afternoon when Steve Sharp, 57, allowed two men onto his property, believing they were a scheduled customer. The men claimed to be on holiday in the area and had heard about his shop.
While Sharp was retrieving a tray of necklaces from his safe, one of the men grabbed the entire display case and fled. Sharp pursued the individuals from his workshop near St Cleer, Cornwall. During the chase, one of the suspects turned and attacked Sharp, punching and kicking him, which resulted in his glasses being broken and landing him in a hedge. The suspects then fled the scene in a vehicle, which had its windscreen smashed by a rock thrown by a neighbor who heard the commotion. The entire incident reportedly lasted less than three minutes.
The stolen items were eight 9ct gold hallmarked chains. Sharp stated that the jewelry was not insured, as his previous insurer had dropped him after a claim for damage to his security gate. CCTV footage captured the moment the men arrived and fled.
Sharp believes he was targeted due to the remote location of his workshop. He suspects the stolen chains will be melted down. He has reportedly been contacted by individuals within the Roma Gypsy community who claim to know the identity of the thieves and are offering information in exchange for a reward.
Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed they are investigating a report of burglary and assault in the St Cleer area. They stated that two men attended a property to buy jewelry, with one distracting the seller while the other stole items. The victim was assaulted as he attempted to apprehend one of the suspects. Enquiries are ongoing.
Smash-and-grab style jewelry thefts have been reported as increasing across the UK. The SaferGems intelligence network reported that over £2 million in jewelry was stolen from UK stores in the first six weeks of 2026 alone.
