Looking back: Dawn raid snares criminal gang

Friday 18 January 2019

A criminal gang of eight robbers were sentenced to hard labour after stealing around £5,000 worth of goods from island homes, including curtains, carpets and china.

The sentencing happened back in 1918, ahead of which hundreds of Islanders gathered outside the courts in the hope of catching a glimpse of a gang of robbers.

The gang of eight men were caught after stolen goods were discovered by police at the home of Alfred Ricou, one of the gang members. The trail of evidence had led police officers to his house following complaints about a number of thefts from house sales at which people had bought items that were never delivered. 

The company at the heart of the case was Alfred’s employer, F. Le Gallais and Sons auctioneers, house furbishers and removal contractors, located at 18 Bath Street in St. Helier.

Pictured: F. Le Gallais and Sons were based at 18 Bath Street, pictured to the left.

In his witness statement, Carlyle Le Gallais, the manager of F. Le Gallais and Sons, detailed the thefts, which took place over a period of 12 months. Mr Le Gallais said:  "In February last we made a sale at Mr Willcox’s shop in Halkett Place on the 1st, on the 12^th we had another sale at Belle Vue, Samares and on the 15^th at Mr Gaudin’s shop in King Street. After each of these sales complaints were made to us by purchasers that goods bought by them at the sales were missing."

After the initial arrest of Alfred Ricou, investigations continued and on 30 January 1918 at 03:00, the police led raids on the homes of five other men, arresting them as part of the gang. 

In the following two days, two more men were arrested, leading to eight men standing accused at the bar on 28 February. The case created significant interest among islanders, as the newspaper of the time recorded. "Long before the opening of the hearing there was, in Seale Street, a crowd of several hundred people, who came in the hope of seeing the accused get out of the prison car and enter the yard."

Pictured: The gang of eight men were brought to Court in February and March 1918.

The gang of eight were accused of a series of robberies from their employer, Le Gallais and Sons, and their case was heard in the courts during February and March 1918.

Carlyle’s statement to the court included a list of the items that were stolen and records also show which items were discovered in each of the men’s houses. The total value of goods stolen was estimated at just over £81, nearly £5,000 in today’s money. Over 80 objects were stolen, they included sheets, curtains, carpets, a hatchet, china figures, dinner services and tea services - the kind of items that you would expect to see held at an auction house. 

The men involved in the case were sentenced to between two and 12 months' hard labour.

This story is part of a new series in collaboration with Jersey Heritage. To learn more about Jersey's gang of robbers, join Jersey Archive’s first free talk of 2019 on tomorrow, January 19, at 10:00.