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| 3 Found Guilty of Aiding $20 Million London Theft | 3 Found Guilty of Aiding $20 Million London Theft |
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| LONDON — It has been called the largest burglary in England’s history: Four aging thieves who conspired to steal about $20 million in gold, jewelry and gems from the Hatton Garden Safe Deposit Ltd. in London, aided by the book “Forensics for Dummies” and diamond-tipped power drills that could penetrate concrete. | LONDON — It has been called the largest burglary in England’s history: Four aging thieves who conspired to steal about $20 million in gold, jewelry and gems from the Hatton Garden Safe Deposit Ltd. in London, aided by the book “Forensics for Dummies” and diamond-tipped power drills that could penetrate concrete. |
| The four ringleaders pleaded guilty to the theft last year and are in jail awaiting sentencing. On Thursday, a jury in London found three other men — Hugh Doyle, 48; William Lincoln, 50; and Carl Wood, 58 — guilty of involvement in the burglary. | The four ringleaders pleaded guilty to the theft last year and are in jail awaiting sentencing. On Thursday, a jury in London found three other men — Hugh Doyle, 48; William Lincoln, 50; and Carl Wood, 58 — guilty of involvement in the burglary. |
| Mr. Lincoln and Mr. Wood were found guilty of conspiracy to commit burglary, and conspiracy to conceal, convert or transfer criminal property. Mr. Doyle was found guilty of concealing, converting or transferring criminal property. | Mr. Lincoln and Mr. Wood were found guilty of conspiracy to commit burglary, and conspiracy to conceal, convert or transfer criminal property. Mr. Doyle was found guilty of concealing, converting or transferring criminal property. |
| A fourth man, Jon Harbinson, 42, Mr. Lincoln’s nephew, was cleared of any involvement with the theft. | A fourth man, Jon Harbinson, 42, Mr. Lincoln’s nephew, was cleared of any involvement with the theft. |
| The brazen nature of the crime left many questioning how the thieves had been able to infiltrate a vault in the heart of Hatton Garden, which has been the center of London’s diamond trade for centuries. | The brazen nature of the crime left many questioning how the thieves had been able to infiltrate a vault in the heart of Hatton Garden, which has been the center of London’s diamond trade for centuries. |
| The police later apologized after it emerged that they had failed to respond to an alert following a motion-triggered alarm system that went off at the safe deposit, which was reinforced by concrete. | The police later apologized after it emerged that they had failed to respond to an alert following a motion-triggered alarm system that went off at the safe deposit, which was reinforced by concrete. |
| Scotland Yard said on Thursday that the theft had been meticulously planned over three years, and that the advanced age of the ringleaders — John “Kenny” Collins, 75; Daniel Jones, 60; Terrence Perkins, 67; and a 76-year-old pensioner, Brian Reader, whom the others referred to as “The Master” — should not detract from the callousness of the crime or the fiendishness of the criminals. | |
| Among the victims were dozens of pensioners, including some who had put their life savings in the safe deposit boxes that were targeted. | Among the victims were dozens of pensioners, including some who had put their life savings in the safe deposit boxes that were targeted. |
| Paul Johnson, a detective chief inspector at Scotland Yard, along with other investigators on the case, emphasized that the men were dangerous criminals with violent pasts who deserved no sympathy. | Paul Johnson, a detective chief inspector at Scotland Yard, along with other investigators on the case, emphasized that the men were dangerous criminals with violent pasts who deserved no sympathy. |
| “I don’t think their age counted against them,” he said. “It was the perfect disguise.” | “I don’t think their age counted against them,” he said. “It was the perfect disguise.” |
| The police are still looking for another suspect in the burglary, described by officers as a redheaded man whom they called Basil. | |
| During the trial of the three men, which opened on Nov. 23, prosecutors detailed a mix of the daring, the prosaic and no shortage of bumbling. | During the trial of the three men, which opened on Nov. 23, prosecutors detailed a mix of the daring, the prosaic and no shortage of bumbling. |
| On the Thursday before last Easter, the first evening of the burglary, which took place over several days, Mr. Reader boarded the No. 96 bus near his home in Dartford, Kent, using his free travel pass for older adults. | |
| Once inside the safe deposit, the men, all of whom were experienced thieves, drilled a hole 20 inches deep to access the vaults. | Once inside the safe deposit, the men, all of whom were experienced thieves, drilled a hole 20 inches deep to access the vaults. |
| After the alarm was triggered, a security guard testified that he had arrived on the scene, peeped through the letter box at the back of the building, decided the area was secure and gone home. All the time, the thieves were in the basement, breaking in. | After the alarm was triggered, a security guard testified that he had arrived on the scene, peeped through the letter box at the back of the building, decided the area was secure and gone home. All the time, the thieves were in the basement, breaking in. |
| Even more surprising, after failing to access the safe deposit boxes on the first night, the men returned two days later. Once inside the vault, two of them ransacked 73 of the more than 900 boxes. They then stuffed two large wheeled trash containers with jewels, gold and precious stones. | |
| During the trial, prosecutors characterized the thieves as plucky, determined, boastful and, in some cases, eccentric. The jury heard how Mr. Jones sometimes slept in his mother’s dressing gown and a fez, accompanied by his dog, Rocket. He avidly researched and read about crime and was interested in fortune telling. | |
| Mr. Wood told Woolwich Crown Court that Mr. Jones would sleep in a sleeping bag and urinate into a bottle. “He was a bit of a Walter Mitty,” Mr. Wood said. | Mr. Wood told Woolwich Crown Court that Mr. Jones would sleep in a sleeping bag and urinate into a bottle. “He was a bit of a Walter Mitty,” Mr. Wood said. |
| Prosecutors said that Mr. Wood was thousands of pounds in debt and “living on the bread line” but had gotten cold feet midway through the burglary when he discovered a door was locked. | Prosecutors said that Mr. Wood was thousands of pounds in debt and “living on the bread line” but had gotten cold feet midway through the burglary when he discovered a door was locked. |
| Mr. Reader had a murky past with links to the criminal underworld, prosecutors said. In 1983, after six armed men in balaclavas targeted a warehouse at Heathrow Airport and stole gold, cash and jewelry, prosecutors said Mr. Reader had helped a Kent crime boss launder around $40 million in gold. | Mr. Reader had a murky past with links to the criminal underworld, prosecutors said. In 1983, after six armed men in balaclavas targeted a warehouse at Heathrow Airport and stole gold, cash and jewelry, prosecutors said Mr. Reader had helped a Kent crime boss launder around $40 million in gold. |
| Mr. Reader was sentenced in 1986 to nine years in prison for handling stolen bullion. | Mr. Reader was sentenced in 1986 to nine years in prison for handling stolen bullion. |
| The police were able to solve the burglary using surveillance footage from the Hatton Garden area that had caught the men on camera; the police later bugged several of their cars, and overheard the men boasting about the heist in Cockney rhyming slang. | The police were able to solve the burglary using surveillance footage from the Hatton Garden area that had caught the men on camera; the police later bugged several of their cars, and overheard the men boasting about the heist in Cockney rhyming slang. |
| Officers also eavesdropped on the men as they discussed how to divide and sell the stolen goods at the Castle pub in Islington, a north London neighborhood. After a few pints of beer, the men became more and more boastful, unaware they were being observed and recorded, the police said. | Officers also eavesdropped on the men as they discussed how to divide and sell the stolen goods at the Castle pub in Islington, a north London neighborhood. After a few pints of beer, the men became more and more boastful, unaware they were being observed and recorded, the police said. |
| On May 19, after the police had decided to arrest the men, Mr. Jones agreed to show prosecutors where he had hidden a bag of the stolen goods, under the gravestone of a relative of his partner. | On May 19, after the police had decided to arrest the men, Mr. Jones agreed to show prosecutors where he had hidden a bag of the stolen goods, under the gravestone of a relative of his partner. |
| But the police said he had failed to mention a much larger haul at the same cemetery, just a few steps away. | But the police said he had failed to mention a much larger haul at the same cemetery, just a few steps away. |