Four Guilty In Heathrow Heist Trial

March 31, 2010

Four men were found guilty on Wednesday of carrying out a GBP£1.75 million pound armed robbery at London’s Heathrow Airport following Britain’s first ever criminal trial to be heard without a jury.

John Twomey, 62, Peter Blake, 57, Barry Hibberd, 43, and Glenn Cameron, 50, were jailed after being convicted of charges relating to the warehouse heist in February 2004.

New laws introduced in 2003 meant the trial could be held in front of a judge sitting alone after the Court of Appeal ruled last year there was a “very significant” danger of jury-nobbling.

The historic trial, which campaigners said set a dangerous precedent, was the fourth time the defendants had faced court proceedings over the raid after the previous trials had collapsed.

The court heard that a gang of six armed masked robbers, wearing high-visibility jackets and dark woollen hats, carried out the raid on the Menzies World Cargo warehouse, planned with the help of insider Darren Brockwell, who later turned supergrass.

During the hold-up, 16 members of staff were tied up and threatened while one was shot at by Blake as he tried to escape and raise the alarm.

The robbers took GBP£1.05 million in sterling and the rest of the cash in Swedish, Danish, Norwegian and Australian currency, some of which was changed at foreign exchange bureaux in central London in the following weeks.

The raid was described by prosecutor Simon Russell Flint as a “professionally planned and professionally executed armed robbery.”

The court heard that Twomey, Blake and Hibberd, who were said to be “experienced career criminals,” carried out the raid with Twomey’s brother-in-law Cameron, and two other men who have yet to be brought to justice.

All four defendants were found guilty by the judge Justice Treacy of robbery and having a firearm with intent to commit robbery. Blake was also found guilty of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm.

Twomey was jailed for 20 years and six months; Blake received a minimum 10-year term; Cameron was imprisoned for 15 years and Hibberd was jailed for 17 years and six months, the Press Association reported.

The latest trial began in January at London’s Royal Courts of Justice but was switched to the Old Bailey last month after Blake went on the run after escaping from court. He handed himself in five days later.

“These are dangerous individuals who organised a complex armed robbery to steal a substantial amount of money and expected to get away with it,” said Detective Superintendent Stuart Cundy.

“They were prepared to not only carry guns, but to use them to ensure their plan succeeded.”

(Reuters)

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