Armed robber jailed for 10 years for £630,000 knifepoint raid on celebrity 'Pearl Queen' jeweller

An armed robber who held a celebrity designer known as the ‘pearl queen’ at knifepoint as he stole £630,000 worth of gems was jailed for 10 years.

Ricky Gray, 40, terrorised Christianne Douglas, her husband and an employee at Coleman Douglas Pearls in Knightsbridge, by threatening to disfigure them with acid. 

Gray entered the store in Beauchamp Place, whose clients include Helen Mirren, Julie Walters and Halle Berry, and asked an employee to show him jewellery from a locked cabinet.

With her back turned he pointed a 6-inch kitchen knife and a bottle of what he claimed to be acid, he then demanded to be taken to the safe.

Gray forced Mrs Douglas, her husband and the staff member into her basement on July 9, 2019.

Ricky Gray, 40, entered a Knightsbridge jewellery store owned by Christianne Douglas with a kitchen knife and what he claimed to be a bottle of acid, demanding the be taken to the safe Pictured: Princess Anne’s visit to Mrs Douglas’s London showroom

Ricky Gray robbed Christianne Douglas’s store Coleman Douglas Pearls, in Beauchamp Place, Knightsbridge, and made off with pearls worth £630,000

The father-of-two ordered Mrs Douglas to fill up three large bags with pearls worth £630,000 before fleeing.

Prosecutor Rhodri James said: ‘With her back to Mr Gray, he produced a 6-inch kitchen knife and a bottle of what he said was acid, he demanded at that point to be taken to a safe.

‘Mr and Mrs Douglas were met by the defendant who said “go downstairs, I have a knife and acid”, he demanded to know where safe was and to have access to it.

‘To his disappointment there was no cash in the safe as they only accept card payments.

‘There was a number of high value jewellery items, he demanded them and the bags, he duly filled three large carrier bags with jewellery and made his way back upstairs and to the shop.

‘As he went up he took two laptops, two mobile phones and Mrs Douglas’s handbag.

‘He tried to get away on a pushbike and as he started frankly he…