Overview

• Jay McGinty, 37, pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary and was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on May 29, 2025
• He detonated smoke grenades in the Davies Street lobby on March 14 and used a sledgehammer to smash a cabinet holding £190,000 of jewellery
• Security guard Bright Acheampong and colleagues jammed the revolving doors and confronted the masked intruder under choking smoke until police arrived
• Officers recovered a 16-inch pearl necklace valued at £5,000 and a £7,500 pearl pendant near the exit after thwarting his escape
• Court records show McGinty has 20 convictions for 38 offences and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2012