Biggest heist ever
Irish plumber helped to plot £14m London jewellery raid, court hears
AN IRISH man charged in connection with the biggest jewellery heist in English history is alleged to have helped plot the burglary for three years from a London pub.
Dublin plumber Hugh Doyle, 48, was allegedly recruited by ‘ringleader’ John ‘Kenny’ Collins, 75, who, the court was told, trusted the Irish man and vouched for him to the others involved in the burglary.
The Hatton Garden raid which saw jewellery and valuables worth about £14million stolen was the ‘largest burglary in English legal history’, Woolwich Crown Court heard yesterday.
A gang of thieves carried out the ‘sophisticated’ and meticulously planned break-in over the Easter weekend this year.
‘Ringleaders’, John ‘Kenny’ Collins, 75, Daniel Jones, 58, Terry Perkins, 67, and Brian Reader, 76, have all already pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary at Hatton Garden Safe Deposit.
Mr Doyle is jointly charged with three other men of one count of conspiracy to conceal, convert or transfer criminal property between January 1 and May 19 this
‘Ringleaders’ used a drill to bore hole
year. He also faces an alternative charge of concealing, converting or transferring criminal property between April 1 and May 19.
Another charge of conspiracy to burgle against Mr Doyle was dropped earlier this month. The three other men – Carl Wood, 58, of Elderbeck Close, Cheshunt, Hertfordshire; William Lincoln, 60, of Winkley Street, Bethnal Green, east London; and Jon Harbinson, 42, of Beresford Gardens, Benfleet, Essex – also face charges of conspiracy to commit burglary between May 17 last year and 7.30am on April 5 this year.
The court heard that investigations revealed the burglary had been planned – often in the Castle pub in Islington, London – for three years.
The ‘ ringleaders’ used a drill to bore a hole 20in deep, 10in high and 18in into the wall of a vault in London’s jewellery quarter, before ransacking 73 safety deposit boxes, the court was told.
Referring to the four men who have pleaded guilty to their involvement, prosecutor Philip Evans, told the jury: ‘ These four ringleaders and organisers of this conspiracy, although senior in years, brought with them a great deal of experience in planning and executing sophisticated and serious acquisitive crime not dissimilar to this.
‘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.’
Mr Evans continued: ‘They bought a great deal of experience.’ He said Collins knew that he could trust Lincoln, Harbinson and Mr Doyle and could vouch for them to the others.
As well as being shown photos of the ‘ringleaders’, jurors saw pictures of some of the watches and jewellery discovered at their homes. A book called Forensics For Dummies was found at Jones’s house.
Unrecovered items that were taken during the raid include individual precious stones and bullion that amounted to gold, platinum and other precious metal bars, ingots and coins.
Saying that only one third of the estimated £ 14million had been recovered, Mr Evans added: ‘This leaves, somewhere in the world, a great deal of criminal property from Hatton Garden, which has been concealed, converted or transferred.’
Jurors were told that Collins acted as the lookout on the night of the burglary and drove the van to and f r om t he scene. He allegedly recruited nephew Lincoln and Harbinson. It is alleged that Collins recruited Mr Doyle.
The court heard the men would often meet a short distance from the jewellery quarter, making plans at The Castle pub in Pentonville Road, Islington. The trial continues.