Salesman beaten and robbed of £4 million worth of jewellery

Lee Gardner, 48, of Wood Green was one of four who were found guilty by majority verdicts after jurors deliberated for more than 19 hours.

The victim Joseph Savoie, who worked for US designer Le Vian, was ambushed in a car park as he walked to Ernest Jones in Staines to display high-value stones including the company's signature brown "chocolate diamonds".

He was beaten to the ground and battered almost unconscious after taking the jewel-filled case from his car boot on the morning of May 13 last year.

Jewellery stolen by four men who have been convicted of conspiring to rob an international jewellery salesman. Photo: Surrey Police/PA

His attackers had stalked him in a Mercedes fitted with fake number plates before pouncing, even ripping his watch and gold necklace from him along with the case, before smashing the car park barrier as they sped off.

Gardner; Camilo Carvajal, 40, of Lewisham; Ciro Troyano, 41, of Southwark; and Oscar Hicks, 38 of St Leonards-on-Sea were all convicted of conspiracy to rob in the "professionally planned" operation on Friday at Kingston Crown Court.

The trial heard how the gang had tracked Mr Savoie's movements after the schedule announcing his arrival at the store was posted on the Ernest Jones website to attract customers.

Camilo Carvajal. Photo: Surrey Police/PA Wire

In the days beforehand, the group, all from London, had staked out Ernest Jones stores in Solihull, West Midlands, and Maidenhead, Berkshire, as Mr Savoie displayed his wares there.

But their conspiracy was undone after detectives traced their movements through mobile phone records, automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras and CCTV images, the court heard.

Police found some stolen items at the homes of the defendants along with thousands of pounds in cash, and messages showing they had been trying to sell the high-value pieces.

Ciro Troyano. Photo: Surrey Police/PA Wire

Detectives also recovered some of the jewellery from pawn shops, including two distinctive Le Vian rings, near the defendants' addresses.

Some of the defendants shook their heads or held their heads in their hands as the guilty verdicts were delivered.

Judge Georgina Kent indicated that the four men will be sentenced on a day to be fixed next week.

Oscar Hicks. Photo: Surrey Police/PA Wire

Surrey Police Detective Sergeant Kate Hyder, who investigated the case, said: "This was a professionally planned robbery, with all four defendants playing their part to pull it off.

"Unfortunately, the violent and sustained attack they inflicted on the victim has had a massive impact on his life and has caused him enormous distress.

"I hope that the guilty verdicts handed out today will provide him with some form of closure and that he can finally begin to move on with his life now that all four men have been brought to justice."