- Police are continuing to investigate the Boxing Day theft at his £5.6m mansion
- Sources say police are looking at whether the gang was ‘tipped off’ by an insider
A raid on Jack Grealish’s home which left his family terrified and running for safety could have been an inside job, sources claim.
Burglars struck the Manchester City winger’s home in Cheshire on December 26, while he was playing against Everton at Goodison Park, and stole up to £1million in jewels and watches.
It has now been claimed that Grealish and his fiancé Sarah Attwood, who was present at the time of the burglary along with other members of his family, had only moved in a number of days before Christmas.
On Sunday Grealish said he was ‘devastated’ the raid had traumatised his family and left him feeling like the last 12 months in football, during which he won the Champions League and Premier League, ‘doesn’t feel like something I can celebrate’.
Officers investigating the crime are now looking into whether the burglars were tipped off after workmen finished renovating the house just days earlier, with a source telling the Sun the crooks went ‘straight to safes and jewellery counters’.
They told the paper: ‘By the time Jack’s partner and family downstairs heard what was going on and raised the alarm, they were long gone.
‘The thieves may have had specific details provided by eyewitnesses who had been in the home.’
It also reported that the burglars could have been helped by the planning application for the renovation works, which revealed the layout of the home.
Sharing a picture of himself with his dog, Jack addressed the incident for the first time on Instagram on Sunday: ‘I can’t begin to explain how devastated I am over the burglary that took place at my home a few days ago.
‘My family mean the world to me and nothing is more important than ensuring their safety. This has been a traumatic experience for all of us, I am just so grateful that nobody was hurt.
‘I have had so many amazing experiences and achievements over the last 12 months, but to be honest the best year of my life in football now doesn’t feel like something I can celebrate.
‘The people that commit these terrible crimes have no idea of the damage they cause to peoples lives. I hope they are found and brought to justice so no other family has to go through what we have.
‘I appreciate the messages from everyone and the support from my friends, teammates and the club.
‘On a more positive note, I’d like to thank everyone for their support throughout this past year, I wish you and your family a happy 2024’
Police investigating the raid are supposedly looking into whether the gang ‘had any inside information’ about the fact he would not be home at the time.
A source told MailOnline that such crimes are often carried out by ‘serious organised crime networks’ who will have ‘huge pools of intelligence about what players are doing and when’.
They added that gangs will pay ‘big money’ to people that could tip them off with inside information and help organise a raid.
The source said: ‘One theory being looked at is that removal workers were followed during the days that Jack was moving into the property.
‘There were vehicles coming and going for days on end in the run-up to Jack and his girlfriend getting the keys.
‘For burglars looking to carry out a raid, this is like red meat. Police will therefore be working backwards to see if there are any clues at all in the days leading up to the raid.
‘Another area they will look to get to the bottom of is whether the gang had any inside information.
‘These raids are carried out by serious organised crime networks, often based overseas, who have huge pools of intelligence about what players are doing and when.
‘They pay big money for tip-offs to help carry out raids like this.’
MailOnline has also learned that Grealish’s fiancée has been left ‘terrified’ by the Boxing Day raid – and no longer feels safe on her own in the property.
Grealish’s fiance Sasha Attwood, 28, was with his family at their Cheshire home when the burglars struck and were forced to hit panic buttons inside the house.
Sources say that she is ‘in pieces’ following the thefts, which happened just days after Grealish moved into the £5.6m mansion.
A source said: ‘Sasha is in pieces over this. Sasha has had to deal with death threats and online abuse over and over again during the time she’s been with Jack.
‘But this feels very different. For people to come into her new home in this way has left her terrified. She’s not been on her own since it happened and right now doesn’t want to be.
‘Jack is particularly angry about the impact this has had on Sasha. They’ve been together nearly half of his life and he loves her to bits.
‘He will now do anything to protect her. They’ve got their dream home but it means nothing if she’s not happy and Jack wants her to feel as safe in it as possible.’
Details of the anguish Sasha is feeling comes as police continue to investigate the Boxing Day incident.
Officers are under big pressure to find who is responsible, because hardly any cases involving Premier League players end up being solved.
‘Cops want to find who did this,’ our source said. ‘Again and again burglars who target players just then seem to vanish off the face of the earth with the items stolen never to be seen again.
‘Detectives have told Jack and his management that they are determined this case will be different, and that they will do all they can to catch the gang behind it.’
Yesterday MailOnline revealed how the raid could have been carried out by a South American gang – and that those behind it may have already fled the country.
We also told how cops are probing whether burglars tracked removal vans which were coming and going from the Grealish’s Cheshire mansion.
The gang fled with £1 million of watches and jewellery from the £5.6 million Cheshire property.
It is based in an area called the ‘Golden Triangle’, repeatedly earmarked in the last three years by professional gangs from Brazil, Mexico, Chile and Peru.
Experts say they are likely to have flown into Britain especially for the raid and may have also returned to South America already.
Up to 500 burglars from those south American countries travel to the UK every year to target homes in Cheshire, the Home Counties, London and Surrey.
Grealish, 28, was playing in City’s 3-1 away win against Everton during the time of the break-in.
It is thought 10 relatives – including Sasha – were watching the match before being alerted by barking dogs and noises.
Former Met detective Peter Bleksley said: ‘This looks and sounds like a gang from South America who have come here to burgle. The area is exactly where they operate for a start.’
Grealish returned to the pitch yesterday in Man City’s 2-0 Premier League victory over Sheffield United, playing until early in the second half.
Man City boss Pep Guardiola has reportedly told his stars to limit their social media use in order to reduce the likelihood that they could be targeted in similar attacks.
He told reporters earlier this week: ‘Today you have to be careful, definitely. Not much on social media, the less they know what you are doing the better.’
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
