Watch moment cross-dressing armed robber in women’s clothing tries to hold up a jewellers at gunpoint – and has his pants pulled down in struggle

A GUN-TOTING thief dressed in drag as a disguise to rob a jewellers - but was hindered by his skirt falling down and wig falling off, a judge heard today.

Ryan Valentine - dressed in a skirt, wig and sunglasses - waltzed into the jewellers brandishing an imitation hand gun.

But the brave jeweller seized the opportunity to bring down the 39-year-old robber by pulling his pants down during a struggle.

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The judge slammed Valentine's attempts at being a woman "unsuccessful" as he handed him a six-year jail sentence for his part in the terrifying raid.

On that night Valentine pulled the gun out while talking to David Dyer, owner of Cradlers House Jewellers on the High Street in Leatherhead, Surrey, and his colleague Fraser Wilson.

Perplexed and shaken by what was happening in front of him, brave Mr Dyer grappled with the burglar before being assisted by Mr Wilson.

Valentine's co-defendant Raymond Price, 45, who had been waiting outside wearing a motorcycle helmet as a disguise, rushed in to to help his friend.

Prosecutor Edward Culver said: "During the scuffle, Valentine escaped through the door. His gun was left at the scene.

"Mr Price was taken to the floor but during the struggle his helmet struck Mr Wilson, fracturing his left cheek."

Guildford Crown Court heard that two members of the public ran into the jewellery store to help before calling police.

Price was then arrested, and cops found a quantity of heroin was found inside his glove.

Mr Culver told the court that while Price had been taken in by police, Valentine escaped and was holed up in a hotel by a third defendant - Paula Jones.

After spending a night at the hotel in Hayes, Middlesex, Valentine then boarded a plane to St Lucia from Gatwick Airport but was detained on the flight after Jones called the police.

Jones, aged 29 years, was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.
Raana Sheikh (both corr), defending Valentine, said: "This was not the most sophisticated of disguise as Mr Valentine's wig kept falling and his skirt was falling down also.

"However, Mr Valentine wanted to be caught. His involvement stems from drugs.

"He has a partner who has two young children, aged three and 11 years. He has been a pillar of strength to the family and the two daughters idolise him."

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David Castle, representing Price, said his client had "reluctantly agreed" to take part in the failed heist in the hopes of using the ill-gotten gains to fund a funeral for Jones's recently deceased brother.

John Cammegh (corr), representing Jones, said that had it not been for his client's intervention Valentine would have been in St Lucia by now and the gang would "not have been detected."

Sentencing the trio, Judge Christopher Critchlow said: "You are all in the dock because of what took place at Cradlers House Jewellers that night.

"Valentine and Price, you were there with the aim of getting jewellery to sell - whether for drugs or drug debts, or just to get money - and in the course of this there was an imitation firearm in your possession.

"Mr Valentine you were disguised dressed as a female, however it was not a very successful dressing.

"This was clearly a less sophisticated commercial robbery.

"Price you were part of the joint enterprise and you were waiting outside to assist Mr Valentine. It is not quite clear to the court as to why you even got involved.

"It seems this sort of offence is out of character for you.

"Ms Jones you knew about these men and that they had committed a punishable offence."

Valentine, of Homefield Road in Walton-on-Thames, was jailed for six years for attempted robbery and possession of an imitation firearm.

Price, of Thamesmead, Walton-on-Thames, was jailed for 45 months for attempted robbery.

Jones, also of Thamesmead, Walton-on-Thames, was jailed for 15 months for assisting an offender.

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