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Three guilty of Hatton Garden heist as Kenneth Noye link revealed Three guilty of Hatton Garden heist as Kenneth Noye link revealed
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The pensioner who led the gang that staged the £14m Hatton Garden heist was a former top lieutenant of crime boss Kenneth Noye, it can be revealed, following the convictions of three of his associates for their involvement in the biggest burglary in English history.The pensioner who led the gang that staged the £14m Hatton Garden heist was a former top lieutenant of crime boss Kenneth Noye, it can be revealed, following the convictions of three of his associates for their involvement in the biggest burglary in English history.
Brian Reader, 76, has already admitted his role as the ringleader in the heist that took place over the Easter weekend last year, when a group of men drilled through a 50cm thick concrete wall and broke into 73 security boxes in London’s diamond district. Brian Reader, 76, had already admitted his role as the ringleader in the heist that took place over the Easter weekend last year, when a group of men drilled through a 50cm thick concrete wall and broke into 73 security boxes in London’s diamond district without leaving a forensic trace.
But it can now be reported that Reader was previously one of Noye’s associates; at one point he had been charged with murdering a police officer alongside Noye, but both were cleared three decades ago. Related: Hatton Garden heist: how swan song of old-school working-class criminal came together
who along with three further men admitted his role in the heist, was one of Noye’s associates after three further men were found guilty on Thursday of helping to carry out the audacious heist. But following the conclusion of a six-week trial of some of Reader’s gang members, it can now be reported that Reader was previously one of Noye’s associates; at one point he had been charged with murdering a police officer alongside Noye, but both were cleared three decades ago.
Reader, 76, was previously charged with murdering a police officer alongside Noye, but both were cleared three decades ago. Those found guilty by a Woolwich crown court jury on Thursday were Carl Wood of Cheshunt, Hertfordshire; William Lincoln, 60, of Bethnal Green, east London and Hugh Doyle 48, of Enfield, north London. A fourth man, Jon Harbinson, 42, of Beresford Gardens, Benfleet, Essex, was acquitted.
Reader and his gang, including pensioners and serious criminals, broke into a supposedly secure vault in the heart of London’s diamond district last Easter, then ransacked locked boxes containing bullion, jewels, cash and other valuables. Reader, of Dartford, Kent, had previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to burgle with intent to steal jewellery and was the ringleader of the heist. Three other men, all main players, also pleaded guilty: John Collins, 75, of Islington, north London; Daniel Jones, 60, of Enfield, north London; and Terry Perkins, 67, also of Enfield.
On Thursday, three other men were convicted of their role in the heist. Carl Wood, 58, of Cheshunt, Hertfordshire and William Lincoln, 60, of Bethnal Green, east London were found guilty of conspiracy to burgle. Jon Harbinson, 42, of Beresford Gardens, Benfleet, Essex, was aquitted of this charge. Reader, nicknamed the “guvnor” in the Hatton Garden heist, was previously jailed for a total of nine years for conspiracy to handle stolen goods and dishonestly handling cash, after the £26m robbery at the Brink’s-Mat warehouse, near Heathrow airport.
Wood and Lincoln were also found guilty of conspiracy to conceal, convert or transfer criminal property. Harbinson and a fourth man – Hugh Doyle, 48, of Enfield, north London – were cleared of this charge. Doyle, however, was found guilty of an alternative count of concealing, converting or transferring criminal property between 1 April and 19 May 2015. An estimated £9m is still yet to be recovered from the Hatton Garden heist, and one man, known by the police as Basil, has never been caught.
Prosecutors allege Reader, Perkins and Jones first entered the vault, while Wood joined them. Collins was said to be a lookout, while Lincoln and Harbinson allegedly acted as getaway drivers. Gas engineer Doyle later helped oversee an exchange of the loot at his workshop. Prosecutors said that Reader, Perkins and Jones first entered the vault, while Wood joined them. Collins was said to be a lookout, while Lincoln allegedly acted as getaway drivers. Gas engineer Doyle later helped oversee an exchange of the loot at his workshop.
The four who pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing last year were John Collins, 74, of Islington, north London; Daniel Jones, 58, of Enfield, north London; and Terry Perkins, 67, also of Enfield. They, plus Reader, of Dartford, Kent, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to burgle with intent to steal jewellery and were the main players in the heist. The four ringleaders who pleaded guilty to plotting the burglary, Reader, Perkins, Jones and Collins, face a maximum sentence of just under seven years.
They are likely to face a sentence of just over six years, but as Reader, Collins, Jones and Perkins pleaded guilty at their first opportunity, they stand to get a third off their sentence. Also deducted from their term of imprisonment will be the time spent on remand since their arrest in May 2015. But their friends and associates now fear fresh legal action could be brought against the men to recover more than £9m of the haul the police say is still missing, which could lead to extra jail time and the older men perishing in prison.
Friends and associates now fear fresh legal action could be brought against the men to recover more than £9m of the haul the police say is still missing, which could lead to extra jail time and the older men perishing in prison.
Those convicted may now face confiscation hearings which could see their assets such as houses and cars seized, and sentences increase by seven years for every £500,000 to £1m they are found to be withholding.Those convicted may now face confiscation hearings which could see their assets such as houses and cars seized, and sentences increase by seven years for every £500,000 to £1m they are found to be withholding.
Detectives are still hunting for a mystery gang member who has never been caught and is known only as Basil, caught on CCTV sporting a red haired wig. He was in the vault on both nights the gang broke in, but has never been found or his real name identified. Detectives are still hunting for a mystery gang member known only as Basil, who was caught on CCTV sporting a red wig. He was in the vault on both nights the gang broke in, but has never been found or his real name identified.
Reader’s full history could not be revealed until the trial against the four men ended. Both he and Noye were charged with murdering a police surveillance officer in the grounds of Noye’s home in January 1985. PC John Fordham was stabbed in the front and back as he kept watch on Noye – who was acquitted after claiming he acted in self defence.Reader’s full history could not be revealed until the trial against the four men ended. Both he and Noye were charged with murdering a police surveillance officer in the grounds of Noye’s home in January 1985. PC John Fordham was stabbed in the front and back as he kept watch on Noye – who was acquitted after claiming he acted in self defence.
Reader was convicted over the £26m Brink’s-Mat armed gold robbery in 1983. Reader, nicknamed the “guvnor” in the Hatton Garden heist, was jailed for a total of nine years for conspiracy to handle stolen goods and dishonestly handling cash, after the raid at the Brink’s-Mat warehouse, near Heathrow airport, west London. Noye is currently in prison for an unrelated knife murder and was an alleged criminal mastermind of significant interest to police since the 1970s. He was alleged to have have bribed officers and was a police informant, as well as a mason. Police do not believe Noye was involved in the Hatton Garden heist.
Noye is currently in prison for an unrelated knife murder and was an alleged criminal mastermind of significant interest to police since the 1970s. He was alleged to have have bribed officers and was a police informant, as well as a Mason.
Police do not believe Noye was involved in the Hatton Garden heist.
The senior detective who investigated Brinks-Mat, Brian Boyce, told the Guardian that “Reader was trusted by Noye” and was also close to other major crime figures.The senior detective who investigated Brinks-Mat, Brian Boyce, told the Guardian that “Reader was trusted by Noye” and was also close to other major crime figures.
The gang Reader led planned to carry out the biggest burglary in English legal history when they broke into the Hatton Garden security vault, housed in the basement of a central London building. The gang Reader led planned to carry out the biggest burglary in English history when they broke into the Hatton Garden security vault, housed in the basement of a central London building.
They drilled through a thick concrete wall and broke into 73 security boxes, without leaving a forensic trace.
Opening the case, prosecutor Philip Evans told the jury of Reader and Perkins’s place in English criminal history: “This offence was to be the largest burglary in English legal history. Two of these men had also been involved in some of the biggest acquisitive crime of the last century, and the other two had for many years in their earlier lives been involved in serious theft.”Opening the case, prosecutor Philip Evans told the jury of Reader and Perkins’s place in English criminal history: “This offence was to be the largest burglary in English legal history. Two of these men had also been involved in some of the biggest acquisitive crime of the last century, and the other two had for many years in their earlier lives been involved in serious theft.”
When Reader’s home was raided by police they found a book on the diamond underworld, a diamond tester, a diamond gauge, diamond magazines. Also recovered during raids as police arrested the suspects was a book called forensics for dummies.When Reader’s home was raided by police they found a book on the diamond underworld, a diamond tester, a diamond gauge, diamond magazines. Also recovered during raids as police arrested the suspects was a book called forensics for dummies.
The gang had to clamber down a lift shaft to access a vault, where they tried to disable the alarm and other electrics. The gang had to clamber down a lift shaft to access a vault, where they tried to disable the alarm and other electrics. They then cut through a sliding iron gate and drilled three adjoining circular holes in the wall of the main vault with a Hilti DD350 diamond tipped drill.
They then cut through a sliding iron gate and drilled three adjoining circular holes in the wall of the main vault with a Hilti DD350 diamond tipped drill. A hole 50cm deep, 25cm high and 45cm wide was cut 89cm off the ground to enter the vault, but the gang only opened a fraction of the boxes inside.
A tiny hole 50cm deep, 25cm high and 45cm wide was cut 89cm off the ground to enter the vault, but the gang only opened a fraction of the boxes inside. Errors led to the gang being caught. Police secretly recorded conversations in two of the cars used by the conspirators, Collins’ white Mercedes, which sported a disabled badge, and and Perkins’ Citroen Saxo.
Errors led to the gang being caught. Police secretly recorded conversations which took place in two of the cars used by the conspirators, Collins’ white Mercedes, which sported a disabled badge, and and Perkins’ Citroen Saxo.
Police used CCTV, and automatic number plate recognition to track the vehicle movements of the conspirators and alleged conspirators through London and south-east England, after identifying them as suspects.Police used CCTV, and automatic number plate recognition to track the vehicle movements of the conspirators and alleged conspirators through London and south-east England, after identifying them as suspects.
“They were analogue criminals ill prepared for digital detectives. That’s how they got caught,”, former commander Peter Spindler, Scotland Yard’s head of crime at the time of the burglary, told The Guardian.“They were analogue criminals ill prepared for digital detectives. That’s how they got caught,”, former commander Peter Spindler, Scotland Yard’s head of crime at the time of the burglary, told The Guardian.
Spindler, recently retired, added: “They are men of their time, one of the reasons they have not been successful, a decade or two ago, there was not the ANPR or CCTV coverage there is now, and they would have had a better chance of getting away with it.” Spindler, recently retired, added: “They are men of their time, one of the reasons they have not been successful, a decade or two ago, there was not the ANPR [automatic number plate recognition] or CCTV coverage there is now, and they would have had a better chance of getting away with it.”
Spindler added: “They probably thought they had got away with it, and became complacent or arrogant.”Spindler added: “They probably thought they had got away with it, and became complacent or arrogant.”
The gang posed as gas repairmen and got into the building which housed the safety box vault, via a fire escape, after Basil let them into the main building. The burglary was up to three years in the planning and gang members scoured the area beforehand, and even visited the vault. They posed as gas repairmen as they got into the building that housed the safety box vault, via a fire escape, after Basil let them into the main building.
The burglary was up to three years in the planning and gang members scoured the area beforehand, and even visited the vault.
Ringleaders used YouTube to watch demonstrations of how to use a drill powerful enough to punch through the thick reinforced concrete wall protecting the vault, and used the internet to research the equipment they might need.Ringleaders used YouTube to watch demonstrations of how to use a drill powerful enough to punch through the thick reinforced concrete wall protecting the vault, and used the internet to research the equipment they might need.
Carl Wood, 58, of Cheshunt, Hertfordshire and William Lincoln, 60, of Bethnal Green, east London were found guilty of conspiracy to burgle by the trial jury. Jon Harbinson, 42, of Beresford Gardens, Benfleet, Essex, was aquitted of this charge.Wood and Lincoln were also found guilty of conspiracy to conceal, convert or transfer criminal property. Harbinson and a fourth man – Hugh Doyle, 48, of Enfield, north London – were cleared of this charge. Doyle, however, was found guilty of an alternative count of concealing, converting or transferring criminal property between 1 April and 19 May 2015.
Reader, Collins, Perkins, Jones, Wood, Lincoln and Doyle will be sentenced on 7 March.
It can now also be reported that Perkins’ daughter Terri Robinson, 35, and her brother-in-law Brenn Walters, 43, previously pleaded guilty to concealing, converting or transferring criminal property. They will be sentenced on 31 March.
Outside the courtroom, Doyle, who has been released on bail before sentencing, told the Guardian he was disappointed by the verdict and would be looking at the possibility of appealing his conviction. “It’s highly likely we will be appealing the conviction,” he said. “I’m disappointed but would like to thank all those who have supported me throughout this – my friends and family.”