Yesterday, a 39 year old man, Michael Daniel Bergquist was sentenced to five and a half years having pleaded guilty to a robbery that occurred on Friday 4th May 2014 at RHS jewellers on Prospect Terrace, Douglas.

A previous Court heard how the defendant Michael Daniel Bergquist entered the jewellery shop wearing a motorbike crash helmet armed with a hammer.

During the raid the owner of the shop was threatened. Jewellery valued at approximately ?25,000.00 was taken. The defendant then made off on a stolen motor bike.

Detective Sergeant Darren Richards who coordinated the investigation stated: “This has been a difficult investigation made harder by the defendants obvious and pre meditated actions and attempts to conceal his involvement from the police.

It was an unusual incident to occur on the island. Once again members of the public rallied round to assist in helping to identify and catch the robber following my initial press release. We were inundated with calls from the public both in person, by telephone and through social media.

I would again like to thank all those that came forward and helped build a picture of what occurred in the time leading up to the incident and immediately afterwards. The information from people going about their normal business was invaluable.

I do not believe that this was a spur of the moment ill thought out decision but a calculated and pre-planned event with the sole intention of stealing high value jewellery and not getting caught.

This was identified over the course of the investigation when the defendant’s actions showed him taking a motorbike from Road and Track prior to committing the robbery. After making his getaway on the motorbike after robbing the jewellers an attempt was made to hide his tracks by destroying his clothing used in the crime by setting fire to them in an area of wooded undergrowth.

Putting Michael Daniel Bergquist behind bars today will go a long way to continuing keeping people safe. 

With Deemster Montgomerie stating the crime had been carefully planned and Michael Daniel Bergquist had made efforts to disguise his identity before destroying potentially incriminating evidence after the robbery. The stolen jewellery was never recovered.

This crime was not victimless and it will take time for the victim to overcome. The Deemster again said he had left the victim terrified and the incident had had a devastating effect on him physically, professionally and financially."

Photo - Area where abandoned motorcycle was discarded.