|
Lee Murray, 29, one of Allen's co-conspirators who also escaped to Morocco remains in a Moroccan jail after claiming Moroccan nationality though he may still face extradition to the UK.
Sir John Nutting QC, for the prosecution, said Allen had played a significant role. "He played an important part throughout, and assisted Lee Murray who was arguably the leading light. He and Lee Murray were friends of longstanding. They both worked part-time as 'cage fighters', a martial arts activity," he said.
Also in the dock is Michael Demetris, 32, who faces charges related to assisting the robbers with prosthetic disguises which were used in the robbery. The prosecution said that although there was no suggestion that Demetris took part in the kidnapping or robbery he "undertook most of the tasks relating to changes of hairstyle for the disguises." Both men deny the charges.
Five other men were convicted in January for their role in the robbery, in which the depot manager and his family were kidnapped at gunpoint by men posing as police officers.
Stuart Royle, 49, Lea Rusha, 35, Jetmir Bucpapa, 26 and Roger Coutts, 30, received minimum terms of 15 years. Emir Hysenaj, the inside man, was jailed for 20 years. Michelle Hogg, who worked on the prosthetic masks for a fortnight had her charges dropped after agreeing to testify against the men.
Nutting told the court that Allen had twice visited a specialist security shop the month before the robbery to buy covert miniature cameras, tracking devices and recording equipment used to watch the depot and Dixon's home. Allen had also helped to buy one of the cars used in the kidnapping and to take the robbers to and from the depot.
Nutting also said that a conversation about the reconnaissance of the depot and the robbery were recorded accidentally on Murray's phone in which a "Paul" was to accompany the depot manager, Colin Dixon, to the depot to get in. The conversation also included a plan to insert a pinhole camera into Hysenaj's jeans to film inside the depot.
"[Allen] may well have actually participated in the robbery and, after it, he assisted the other conspirators to unwrap a large number of holdalls which were used to take the proceeds of the robbery away. Four days after the robbery, he fled with Lee Murray to Morocco where he and Lee Murray hoped to remain living on their share of the proceeds," Nutting said.
Police have since recovered £21m of the stolen cash, but £32m is still unaccounted for.
Another suspect, Keyinde Patterson, has not been arrested and is thought to be in hiding in the West Indies.
|
