A WOMAN who carried £10,000 of treasured family jewellery around with her because she feared Asian gold thieves lost the lot when she left it in her unlocked car, Bradford Crown Court heard.

She was devastated to discover the red make-up bag containing a wedding ring and other items of sentimental value had gone when she returned from a takeaway on Christmas Eve last year.

Five days later, Robert Ineson and his partner Toni-ann Allen, along with Carl Bottomley, were trying to sell the haul in jewellers shops in Keighley.

When no business in the town would touch it, they flogged it for £4,250 at Chacha Jewellers, in Great Horton Road, Bradford, prosecutor Mark Brookes said yesterday.

It was “very quickly” melted down and all that was recovered was £500 seized by the police from Ineson’s wallet.

Ineson, 25, Allen, 20, and Bottomley, 21, all of Adelaide House, Crosley Wood Road, Bingley, pleaded guilty to dishonestly handling the stolen jewellery.

They were sentenced to 12 month community orders with unpaid work. Ineson and Bottomley were each ordered to pay the woman £2,000 compensation and Allen was ordered to pay her £500.

All three defendants were arrested after they were caught on CCTV trying to sell the jewellery.

The Recorder of Bradford, Judge Roger Thomas QC, said: “The three were trying to sell it in Keighley and, very rightly, it was realised that it wasn’t a legitimate transaction, so they came to Bradford. Mr Chacha paid £4,250 for it and he’s melted it all down.”

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After the case, the boss of family-run Chacha Jewellers, Mohammed Ali, said it was an error on the part of one of his staff that the gold had been bought and he was sorry for the owner’s loss.

“I was not at the shop at the time and although one of my staff went through the correct formalities to get some ID from the people selling the gold, they did not use their judgement properly and they should have turned down the sale,” said Mr Ali.

“We are a well-respected jewellers and I felt so guilty because I didn’t want to benefit from someone’s loss.

“I have already given the woman the profit I made from the gold to show how sorry I am. I have also told staff to be more vigilant in future and to use their judgement on whether to buy gold or not from customers.”