Thomas Jewellers heist: Fifteen years on, police still investigating

The theft of $100,000 worth of jewellery from a Geelong store went unnoticed for hours, in a case that has stumped detectives for 15 years. But here’s how it could be cracked.

Security footage from the Thomas Jewellers theft in Geelong in 2009. No CCTV footage from inside the store was available, and the footage from outside is on VHS.

The thieves were in and out before anybody noticed.

Four people entered Thomas Jewellers within moments of each other about 1.15pm on January 15, 2009.

It was a heist equally as brazen as the Duff’s Jewellers heist 22 years earlier, and just as meticulously planned.

In the Duff’s case, the thieves descended from the ceiling and used a diamond-tipped machine to cut through reinforced concrete in the dead of night.

At Thomas Jewellers, the crew of crooks – three men and one woman – entered separately, but police believe the four were working together to rob the store.

Suspects highlighted from security footage of the Thomas Jewellers theft in Geelong in 2009.

It’s been speculated two distracted staff, one kept watch and the fourth stole a tray of 60 rings from the open safe behind the counter.

It wasn’t until 3.30pm that staff noticed anything was missing, hours after the thieves had left the store.

The thieves had walked out of the store on the corner of Moorabool and Malop streets with $100,000 worth of rings.

Then-manager of Thomas Jewellers, Jenny Stratus, holds an empty tray by the safe.

Among their loot was a three-carat diamond solitaire, two two-carat diamond rings and 12 one-carat diamond solitaires. The single most expensive piece was worth $20,000.

One in broad daylight, the other in the dead of night – but in both cases, detectives were left scratching their heads and the thieves made off with their loot.

Fifteen years on, police are still appealing for witnesses to come forward to help solve the mystery of Thomas Jewellers.

Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Guthrie told this masthead the Thomas jewellers case was still raring to be solved, all it needed was someone to come forward.

“It’s still an open case, it’s still sitting there,” Mr Guthrie said.

“We are appealing for anyone that’s got any information to come forward.”

“I have no doubt someone knows about it.

“So come forward.”

Police chased down dozens of leads, including a suggestion an international crime gang was responsible.

Thomas Jewellers

However, Mr Guthrie said the key to cracking the case would be local.

“I have no doubt someone around the area would know something,” he said.

Mr Guthrie said police believed the perpetrators were a professional outfit.

“We still have the belief that they had been in there, scoped the place out and knew what they were after,” he said.

“They were all working in concert together … they knew what they wanted, they knew what they had to do it.

“It was pretty brazen, to do it right in the heart of Geelong.”

While jewellery stores aren’t the easiest targets these days, just last year a man armed with an imitation firearm allegedly attempted to rob McGill’s jeweller on Ryrie St.

Many robberies, especially those on jewellers, are smash and grabs or armed robberies.

Mr Guthrie said months before the Thomas Jewellers heist another jewellery store in Geelong had been hit in an unconnected raid.

“We arrested those offenders,” he said.

“They came and smashed a glass countertop and stole a couple of pieces of jewellery.

“They weren’t as sophisticated.”

Thomas Jewellers closed its Geelong shop in 2017.

Originally published as Thomas Jewellers heist: Fifteen years on, police still investigating