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| Hatton Garden accused used real name to buy equipment, court hears | Hatton Garden accused used real name to buy equipment, court hears |
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| One of the men accused of being part of the Hatton Garden heist gang bought equipment for the the biggest burglary in English history using his real surname and giving the name of the road he lived on, a court has heard. | One of the men accused of being part of the Hatton Garden heist gang bought equipment for the the biggest burglary in English history using his real surname and giving the name of the road he lived on, a court has heard. |
| Woolwich crown court was told that Daniel Jones, 58, was sent to buy a piece of machinery needed to burgle a vault holding nearly 1,000 safety deposit boxes full of jewels, gold and cash. | |
| The gang successfully entered the Hatton Garden vault on Good Friday, 2 April 2015, but ran into difficulties and needed to buy a new piece of equipment, the jury heard. | The gang successfully entered the Hatton Garden vault on Good Friday, 2 April 2015, but ran into difficulties and needed to buy a new piece of equipment, the jury heard. |
| The gang had successfully drilled three adjoining holes through a thick concrete wall protecting the vault using a diamond-tipped drill. But their progress was blocked by metal cabinets bolted to the floor and ceiling and they needed a special jack to harness up to 10 tonnes of hydraulic force to “punch” them out of the way. | The gang had successfully drilled three adjoining holes through a thick concrete wall protecting the vault using a diamond-tipped drill. But their progress was blocked by metal cabinets bolted to the floor and ceiling and they needed a special jack to harness up to 10 tonnes of hydraulic force to “punch” them out of the way. |
| Philip Evans, prosecuting, said Jones went to two shops in Twickenham, south-west London on 4 April. One of these, Machine Mart, had records of selling a Clarke pump and hose to “a man who gave his details as V Jones of Park Avenue, Enfield, Middlesex”. Jones’s real address is on Park Avenue in Enfield and his partner’s first initial is V. | Philip Evans, prosecuting, said Jones went to two shops in Twickenham, south-west London on 4 April. One of these, Machine Mart, had records of selling a Clarke pump and hose to “a man who gave his details as V Jones of Park Avenue, Enfield, Middlesex”. Jones’s real address is on Park Avenue in Enfield and his partner’s first initial is V. |
| Jones and three other men – John Collins, 74, of Islington, north London; Terry Perkins, 67, of Enfield, north London; and Brian Reader, of Dartford, Kent – have pleaded guilty to stealing £14m worth of jewels, gold and cash from the secure boxes after breaking into the basement vault in the central London jewellery district. | Jones and three other men – John Collins, 74, of Islington, north London; Terry Perkins, 67, of Enfield, north London; and Brian Reader, of Dartford, Kent – have pleaded guilty to stealing £14m worth of jewels, gold and cash from the secure boxes after breaking into the basement vault in the central London jewellery district. |
| The court heard Jones tried to con police by pretending he had come clean about where he had stashed some of the valuables, which were eventually recovered from a north London cemetery. | The court heard Jones tried to con police by pretending he had come clean about where he had stashed some of the valuables, which were eventually recovered from a north London cemetery. |
| Evans said Jones told police about a stash hidden where the ashes of his children’s grandfather had been “buried”, but not about a larger stash hidden in another memorial plot. Detectives were suspicious and made their own inquiries, which led them to discovering the other stash in October. | Evans said Jones told police about a stash hidden where the ashes of his children’s grandfather had been “buried”, but not about a larger stash hidden in another memorial plot. Detectives were suspicious and made their own inquiries, which led them to discovering the other stash in October. |
| Evans told the jury: “There were two bags: one blue, which was sealed with tape, and one red, orange and white, which contained a large quantity of jewellery. When the blue bag was opened, it was found to contain many packets or brifkas which each appeared to contain precious stones.” | Evans told the jury: “There were two bags: one blue, which was sealed with tape, and one red, orange and white, which contained a large quantity of jewellery. When the blue bag was opened, it was found to contain many packets or brifkas which each appeared to contain precious stones.” |
| A week later, Jones was let out of prison and taken to the same cemetery in Edmonton, but police did not tell him they had found two bags. Jones took police to another memorial stone belonging to a relative of his children. | A week later, Jones was let out of prison and taken to the same cemetery in Edmonton, but police did not tell him they had found two bags. Jones took police to another memorial stone belonging to a relative of his children. |
| Evans said: “Underneath the memorial stone, Mr Jones revealed what appeared to be a black and orange bag. That bag has now been opened and found to contain various items of gold and jewellery and a much smaller number of packets or brifkas containing precious stones.” | Evans said: “Underneath the memorial stone, Mr Jones revealed what appeared to be a black and orange bag. That bag has now been opened and found to contain various items of gold and jewellery and a much smaller number of packets or brifkas containing precious stones.” |
| The prosecutor said Jones told police they had got everything, unaware they knew otherwise: “He was hoping if he gave up the smaller quantity … he would still have access to the larger stash of criminal property, no doubt for his future use.” | The prosecutor said Jones told police they had got everything, unaware they knew otherwise: “He was hoping if he gave up the smaller quantity … he would still have access to the larger stash of criminal property, no doubt for his future use.” |
| The court heard Perkins said gold stolen in the heist could be his pension during discussions caught on a police listening device. On 15 May, just before the gang were arrested, Perkins was heard talking about Indian gold and said: “I’m going to melt my good gold down.” Later, Asian necklaces, bangles and pendants were recovered. | The court heard Perkins said gold stolen in the heist could be his pension during discussions caught on a police listening device. On 15 May, just before the gang were arrested, Perkins was heard talking about Indian gold and said: “I’m going to melt my good gold down.” Later, Asian necklaces, bangles and pendants were recovered. |
| Evans told the jury that Reader pulled out of the conspiracy after the gang ran into difficulties trying to get into the vault on the night of 2 April because of equipment failure. | Evans told the jury that Reader pulled out of the conspiracy after the gang ran into difficulties trying to get into the vault on the night of 2 April because of equipment failure. |
| Reader, called “the guvnor” or “the master” by the others, had “decided he no longer wanted any part in the activities at Hatton Garden,”, Evans told the jury. | Reader, called “the guvnor” or “the master” by the others, had “decided he no longer wanted any part in the activities at Hatton Garden,”, Evans told the jury. |
| The court heard there were so many valuables in the 73 security boxes they successfully broke open that two wheelie bins were used to take them away. | The court heard there were so many valuables in the 73 security boxes they successfully broke open that two wheelie bins were used to take them away. |
| The crown on Tuesday continued setting out its case against four men who deny charges over the heist. Three men are charged with conspiracy to burgle: William Lincoln, 60, of Bethnal Green, east London; John Harbinson, 42, of Benfleet, Essex; and Carl Wood, 58, of Cheshunt, Hertfordshire. | The crown on Tuesday continued setting out its case against four men who deny charges over the heist. Three men are charged with conspiracy to burgle: William Lincoln, 60, of Bethnal Green, east London; John Harbinson, 42, of Benfleet, Essex; and Carl Wood, 58, of Cheshunt, Hertfordshire. |
| They and Hugh Doyle, 48, of Enfield, north London, are also charged with conspiracy to conceal, convert or transfer criminal property. Doyle is also charged with actually concealing, converting or transferring criminal property. | They and Hugh Doyle, 48, of Enfield, north London, are also charged with conspiracy to conceal, convert or transfer criminal property. Doyle is also charged with actually concealing, converting or transferring criminal property. |
| The crown says Harbinson, a black-cab driver, and Lincoln helped move and conceal the haul. | The crown says Harbinson, a black-cab driver, and Lincoln helped move and conceal the haul. |
| Evans said: “They had to do something with it, they had to – in short – launder it. What they chose to do was to conceal it or hide it for a period of time until the tide of publicity had subsided and they hoped they would have avoided detection. When they were confident that had happened, they could split it up, melt it down, sell it or hide for a rainy day.” | Evans said: “They had to do something with it, they had to – in short – launder it. What they chose to do was to conceal it or hide it for a period of time until the tide of publicity had subsided and they hoped they would have avoided detection. When they were confident that had happened, they could split it up, melt it down, sell it or hide for a rainy day.” |
| But on 19 May, they brought a part of their stash to an address in Enfield connected to Perkins. Flying Squad detectives who had been watching the suspects moved in to make arrests. | But on 19 May, they brought a part of their stash to an address in Enfield connected to Perkins. Flying Squad detectives who had been watching the suspects moved in to make arrests. |
| The trial continues. | The trial continues. |