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Paul Hughes Jailed for Two Years After Stealing £62k of Watches From London Gym Lockers

The judge refused to suspend the sentence because Hughes’s long record and sustained pattern of locker thefts showed limited prospects for rehabilitation.

Overview

  • Hughes was sentenced to two years in prison on Thursday after pleading guilty at Inner London Crown Court to seven counts of theft and one count of fraud.
  • Court and police accounts say he took about £62,107 in luxury watches and other items during a spree that ran from July 30, 2024 to March 10, 2026.
  • CCTV shown to the court captured Hughes concealing his face with a towel before entering changing rooms and removing valuables while victims exercised.
  • He also stole bank cards from lockers and admitted using victims’ cards to make ATM withdrawals as part of the fraud convictions.
  • Police described Hughes as a prolific offender with roughly 79 prior convictions and earlier jail terms, a record that the judge cited when declining to suspend the sentence and that raises questions about security at high-end gyms and the lasting impact on victims.