A 20-YEAR-OLD man who stole a £6,500 diamond encrusted Cartier cross belonging to his dad’s partner sold it to a jeweller for just £230.

Blackburn magistrates heard the buyer told Daniel Rowe he would only pay the value of the gold claiming the 382 diamonds and four sapphires were of no use to him.

But John Rowe who bought the cross in Marbella for 8,300 Euros seven years ago as a gift for his girlfriend said any jeweller worthy of the name would have recognised the quality of the piece.

“By the time I got the police involved the cross had gone although I don’t for one minute think it has been broken up,” said Mr Rowe.

“I find it unbelievable that a 20- year-old lad wearing a baseball cap and tracksuit can walk in and sell a valuable piece of jewellery without alarm bells ringing. Perhaps the cash till was ringing louder.”

Daniel John Rowe, of Bunkers Hill Close, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to theft of the cross.

He was made subject to community supervision for 12 months, ordered to do 100 hours unpaid work and pay £350 compensation.

The magistrates made the compensation order after hearing Rowe is in receipt of incapacity benefit and paying the full value at the normal rate of £5 a week would take him 25 years.

John Wood, prosecuting, said Rowe told police he had given some of the money to his mum and spent the rest on himself.

Jonathan Taylor, defending, said his client had no idea how much the cross was worth.