IN April 2015, the Hatton Garden Jewellery Quarter in London became the scene of one of the biggest heists in British history.
The six men who were experienced thieves were all arrested, pleaded guilty, and received prison sentences in March the following year.
Diamond wheezers… John Collins, Daniel Jones, Terry Perkins, (bottom row left to right) Carl Wood, William Lincoln and Hugh DoylePA:Press Association
Where are the Hatton Garden robbers?
Most of the gang, who had become known as the “diamond wheezers” due to their average age being 63, were put on trial in 2016.
Michael Seed
Seed, 63, is thought to have been the ringleader of the gang and simply known as ‘Basil’ by the others.
He managed to evade being caught for three years despite living in a council house in Islington, less than two miles away from the robbery.
Seed was eventually caught in 2018.
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Police are believed to have identified Seed in November 2015 but waited until March 2018 to arrest him when they could catch him red-handed.
He became the tenth person to be convicted in connection with the heist in March 2019 when he was sentenced to ten years in prison.
Seed will serve an extra six-and-a-half year on top of his 10-year 2019 jail term for his role in the £ 13.6 million heist, according to The Mirror.
Brian Reader
Known as ‘The Master’ Reader pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit burglary and was locked up for six years and three months for his part.
The 84-year-old was released in July 2018 after serving just over three years.
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He was released with remission having suffered from prostate cancer and a series of strokes.
He has since been enjoying the summer sunshine in the garden of his home in Dartford, Kent, alongside relatives and friends.
In April 2023, it was revealed that he had sold the three of his estates for £2.5 million.
Reader had faced a further seven-year term if he could not pay a £6.5million confiscation order imposed on him and three other ringleaders.
Due to his health, Reader received a sentence seven months shorter than his fellow Hatton Garden ringleaders.
He appeared in court in a wheelchair for a confiscation hearing — and he still walks aided by sticks.
John Collins
The 82-year-old was known as Kenny and was sentenced to seven years for his part in the raid.
He was released in late 2018 having served half his sentence.
Collins was spotted arriving at his home in Islington, north London after a trip to the supermarket.
He served as the lookout and getaway driver for the gang.
Collins was described in court as “instrumental in gaining access to the vault”, visiting the area many times to assess its weaknesses. He also purchased the extra equipment needed to drill through the wall of the vault.
Some of the gold stolen from the London heist was even hidden in his wheelie bins.
Collins was in part responsible for the gang being caught after driving his own Mercedes to the heist and being tailed by police.
His £175,000 flat on the Costa del Sol in Spain has been seized by police, who also froze nearly £700,000 in his bank accounts.
Daniel Jones
Jones, 67 from Enfield, was jailed for seven years for his part in the Hatton Garden raid.
He climbed through the hole bored in the wall with Basil to break into the boxes.
While in custody, awaiting trial, Jones claimed he wanted to “come clean” and give back his share of the robbery. To that end he wrote a letter to the media offering to show police where he had hidden it.
But when he was escorted to Edmonton Cemetery, in north London, he only showed them a small portion of his stash and lied under direct questioning when asked if he knew about any more loot buried about 20m (65ft) away, which the police had already found.
But the criminal was handed a three year sentence on top in July 2018 having taken part in a £1m gem heist at Amal Clooney’s wedding jewellers.
Jones stole about £1m worth of jewellery, gems and watches from the Old Bond Street shop’s display cabinets, as well as £45,000 in cash.
The family-owned firm, which owns a collection of rare and expensive gems and is popular with the world’s rich and famous, was burgled over the 2010 summer bank holiday weekend, between 27 and 31 August.
Terry Perkins
Terry died in prison in February 2018 of natural causes, aged 69.
He died just one week after being ordered to repay around £6.5m in missing cash.
A Prison Service spokesperson confirmed Perkins died in custody at HMP Belmarsh.
He suffered from diabetes and heart problems.
Perkins suffered a heart attack in Belmarsh Prison and was fitted with a defibrillator – a pacemaker which monitors heart beats – at London’s St Thomas’ Hospital.
Carl Wood
Wood, 58 from Cheshunt, was handed a six year prison sentence for his part.
He suffers from Crohn’s disease and lives on disability allowance.
He is thought to have become involved in the job as he was £8,890 in debt.
Wood pulled out of the heist on the second night when he found the fire escape door was closed.
His friend Jones subsequently refused to give him any of the spoils to help clear his debts and no loot was found at his house.
Wood was arrested on 19 May 2015.
William Lincoln
Lincoln, 68, who was known as ‘Billy the Fish’ was given a seven year stretch.
He acted as the gang’s getaway driver.
Lincoln got his nickname because he used to visit Billingsgate Fish Market on Fridays.
He was arrested on 19 May 2015 while driving his black Audi A3.
The arresting officers found a torn-up, handwritten note on the floor beside him.
The writing on the note gave the address of the Wheatsheaf pub, where some of the loot was handled.
Hugh Doyle
The 50-year-old gas fitter was found guilty of conspiracy to conceal, convert or transfer criminal property and given a suspended prison sentence.
There was no evidence he ever went to Hatton Garden.
His role was to provide an exchange point for the final handover of loot outside his business premises.
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Jon Harbinson
The 42-year-old was cleared of all charges.
He was accused of storing much of the stolen jewellery, gems and gold before returning it to the gang to be split up.
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