Man, 33, charged with Lymington robbery and remanded in custody

Richard Daniel Kitcher, 33, of Efford Way, Lymington has been charged with robbery and remanded in custody until his next court appearance.

Kitcher appeared at Southampton Magistrates’ Court yesterday morning (Monday 29 January) and will next appear at Southampton Crown Court on Friday 1 March.

It follows a report of robbery in the graveyard at St Thomas the Apostle Church, St Thomas Street, Lymington between 5.45pm and 6pm on Saturday (27 January).

During the incident, the victim, a man in his late teens, was approached by a group of two men and two girls. He was then assaulted and had his mobile phone stolen.

The victim suffered a suspected broken nose during the attack. The phone was later recovered, but had been damaged beyond repair.

Detective Constable Samuel Hussey, who is investigating the robbery, said: This incident would have occurred at a relatively busy time of day, with plenty of footfall around the area.

“It also happened adjacent to The Six Bells, which was busy with patrons at the time. If you were in The Six Bells that night, do you recall seeing anything which might us in our investigation?

“The victim described people passing by and being told not to intervene by the attackers. Perhaps you were one of these people. If you, were please get in touch with us.”

A 57-year-old man and and 15-year-old girl, both from Lymington, were also arrested on suspicion of robbery, but have since been released on bail, pending further enquiries.

If you were in the area at the time of the incident, witnessed anything suspicious, or have any photos or video footage, please call 101 and quote incident number 44240039174.

You can also report online via the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary website.

How to tell us about an existing case or report | Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary

Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111, or visit their website, below.

Independent UK charity taking crime information anonymously | Crimestoppers (crimestoppers-uk.org)