Dying Chichester hospital patient's Rolex recovered 18 months later

A Rolex watch which went missing from a dying patient at St Richard's Hospital, Chichester, has been reunited with his family 18 months later.
By The Newsroom
Published 9th Mar 2016, 17:03 BST
Updated 7th Jun 2018, 18:31 BST

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Detective Constable Mark Burgess, Jon Davis with the Rolex watch and PC David Phillips. Photo supplied by Sussex PoliceDetective Constable Mark Burgess, Jon Davis with the Rolex watch and PC David Phillips. Photo supplied by Sussex Police
Detective Constable Mark Burgess, Jon Davis with the Rolex watch and PC David Phillips. Photo supplied by Sussex Police

On August 7, 2014, 68-year-old David Davies, of Birdham, was taken to St Richard’s Hospital by ambulance suffering from a serious heart condition.

Sadly he died at the hospital a short while later.

However, while he was being attended to in accident and emergency, the watch disappeared and despite a thorough search of the area, and checks with staff who were on duty at the time, it was not found.

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The watch, a silver Submariner Rolex, worth £5,000 and a precious family heirloom, was reported as stolen to police.

Then last week the watch, which had been registered as stolen with the Rolex database, was located locally, police said.

A 40-year-old Walberton man has been arrested on suspicion of theft of the watch and released on bail until April 17 for further enquiries.

The watch has now been reunited with Mr Davies’ son, Jon, who said: “I want to say a huge thank you to the officers involved who have returned the watch to my family.

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“I am over the moon to get dad’s watch back. I never thought we would see it again after all this time. Dad loved the watch and it is very precious to us as a family.”

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