The masked gang who raided Ben Stokes’ home may have reportedly planned the robbery using a video tour of the England Test captain’s home.
Stokes revealed Wednesday night that his home had been raided while his wife and two young children were there.
He was in Pakistan for England’s recent Test series at the time, and the incident took place on Thursday, October 17 at Castle Eden in County Durham.
The 33-year-old explained how he had lost several “irreplaceable” items, including three necklaces, a Christian Dior bag, an engraved ring and his OBE medal which he received in 2020.
Stokes said his family did not suffer “any physical harm” in the raid, but heartbreakingly added that it has had an impact on their “emotional and mental state.”
The masked gang who raided Ben Stokes’ home earlier this month may have reportedly planned the robbery using a video tour of the home featuring the England captain.
Stokes’ wife, Claire, and two children, Layton and Libby, were home when the raid occurred.
Stokes posted a statement on social media Wednesday revealing that the robbery occurred.
And, in a new report from the sunIt was claimed that the gang organized the robbery using video footage from Stokes showing a cameraman around the mansion.
This was part of a 16-minute movie that was released on an Indian streaming app.
The report went on to claim that the video, titled ‘Ben Stokes takes us on a tour of his home!’ – showed the entry points to the building, including the doors leading into the courtyard, and also pointed out where various memorabilia from Stokes’ illustrious career were placed.
It was produced by 4C, a sports media company, with a gold 4C pendant as one of the stolen items.
In the film, which will reportedly be used in the investigation, Stokes describes the various changes that had been made to the house.
“We have worked a lot,” he said. “We redid everything.”
Stokes lives at the property with his wife Clare, son Layton and daughter Libby, and the family bought it for £1.7 million in 2017.
The 33-year-old released a statement and photos of the stolen items on Wednesday, saying his “only motivation” for making a public statement is “to catch the people who did this.”
The cricketer said: “On the night of Thursday 17 October, a group of masked people robbed my home in the Castle Eden area of the North East.
«They escaped with jewelry, other valuables and many personal items. Many of those items have real sentimental value to me and my family. They are irreplaceable.
During the robbery, a gold necklace with a lion’s head was taken from Stokes’ home.
The back of the lion’s necklace was engraved: ‘Some may be better, but none will be braver’
A Christian Dior bag that belonged to his wife was another of the items stolen during the robbery.
Also taken from Stokes’ home was an England ring engraved with set diamonds.
A gold pendant from 4C, the company that made the film, was another of the stolen items.
‘This is an appeal for any help to find these people who carried out this act.
‘By far the worst thing about this crime is that it took place while my wife and two young children were in the house. Fortunately, no one in my family suffered any physical harm.
‘However, it is understandable that the experience has had an impact on his emotional and mental state. All we can think about is how much worse this situation could have been.
‘I am posting photographs of some of the stolen items, which I hope can be easily identified, in the hope that we can find those responsible.
‘Although we have lost prized possessions, to be clear, my sole motivation in sharing these photographs is not the recovery of material objects. It’s to catch the people who did this.
‘Please come forward and contact Durham Police on 101 quoting crime reference CRI00575927 if you believe you have any relevant information.
‘Finally, I want to thank the police service. Both now and while I was in Pakistan, your support for my family has been extraordinary. “They continue to work incredibly hard to try to find these people.”
The gang is also alleged to have stolen one of Stokes’ luxury cars.
Stokes had been criticized for his performances during the Pakistan Test series, which England lost 2-1, and the all-rounder failed to take a wicket and scored just 53 runs in four innings.
Speaking after the series, and before news of the theft became public, England coach Brendon McCullum had backed Stokes to bounce back from the disappointing tour.
Stokes’ behavior and lack of form in Pakistan raised questions about whether he was okay.
“We all know how competitive and motivated the boss is,” he said. “He’s going to be hurting right now (and) it’s my job to make sure I’m there to support him.”
‘Look, that injury was pretty important. He had to work incredibly hard to come back. As a motivated athlete, he concentrates when he does something.
“It took a lot of work and subconsciously that may… not cloud things, but maybe you’re not as screwed as you could be in terms of decision-making.”
“He’s disappointed, but he’s our captain and we know he’s a tough bastard. “He’ll make sure he comes back and it’s our job to make sure we put our arms around him and help him along the way.
