Self-styled TikTok 'star' jailed for £7,000 diamond-ring dupe at Leeds jewellers

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A “professional thief” who claimed in court he was a Tiktok star was caught stealing a diamond ring worth almost £7,000 from a jewellers by using a “slight of hand” trick to dupe the shop assistant.

John Wickins tried to distract the worker at Owen & Robinson and replace the expensive ring with a fake he had brought with him. The 35-year-old, who has a multitude of thefts and burglaries to his name, had entered the Commercial Street dealers at around 1pm on March 13.

He asked the assistant if he could have a closer look at two diamond rings on display and sat at a table. When they were presented to him, he tried to distract the assistant and switch one of the rings with the fake.

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He placed it into the tray, and underneath the table put the £6,825 ring into his sock.

Wickins targeted the jewellers in Leeds city centre when he tried to switch a £7,000 ring with a fake. (pic by Google Maps)Wickins targeted the jewellers in Leeds city centre when he tried to switch a £7,000 ring with a fake. (pic by Google Maps)
Wickins targeted the jewellers in Leeds city centre when he tried to switch a £7,000 ring with a fake. (pic by Google Maps) | Google Maps

Prosecuting at Leeds Crown Court, Zarreen Alam-Cheetham said the assistant noticed and asked him to return the ring but then he got up and left the shop quickly. Caught on CCTV, Wickins was later arrested.

He initially denied an offence of theft, but during a hearing this week was shown the footage and opted to plead guilty. The ring was never recovered. He also admitted theft of items from M&S Simply Food at Leeds Railway Station days after targeting the jewellers.

Wickins, of no fixed address, has 93 previous offences on his record, for which Judge Ray Singh described him as a “professional thief”.

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Representing himself in court, Wickins, said: “I do apologise for taking the ring. I’m not trying to justify my actions, I’m not proud. None of us are perfect.

“It’s very easy to sit back and judge people. I know I’m one of the nicest persons in the world. Am I a harm to the public? Absolutely not. I have changed. It was a stupid mistake I made.”

Wickins also said he had become known on TikTok after putting a video of himself on the media platform dancing and he said a “lot of people liked it”. But Judge Singh questioned how he had “changed”, given that he continues to steal, despite his lengthy record.

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Judge Singh told him: “I reject that you are a changed individual. Its a litany of offences. You have been a persistent thief through the years. This involved significant planning, having taken a fake ring and used distraction techniques.”

He jailed Wickins for 14 months.

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