| Tuesday 06/11/2001 | Standing room only at Dome trial |
| The heist in progress | | Pix : Oliver Strange Agency. | It seems somehow appropriate that the trial of the Millenium Dome Robbers should begin on Bonfire Night, the anniversary of an occasion some 400 years ago when another dastardly plot was foiled.
Seven men stand accused of planning to steal the Millennium Collection of diamonds between July 1st and November 8th, 2000. All of them deny the charges (at the moment). Packed with the accused and their legal teams, the Old Bailey was bulging at the seams when the trial kicked off.
Prosecutor Paul Hislop, QC, began his case with a quick tour of the 'blag of the century'. The gang tried to use a JCB digger to smash a path into the Dome but the ran straight into a police trap. Mr. Hislop added that if the gang had been successful, their crime could have been properly described as 'the robbery of the millennium.'
With no regard for the safety of the general public, the gang assaulted the dome wearing body armour and carrying smoke grenades and bottles of ammonia as weapons, in additions to 'implements of demolition'. The robbery attempt was professionally planned. Mr. Hislop voiced this tired cliché with a straight face and a serious expression. The details including having a decoy boat waiting to draw the police to the wrong side of the Thames after the robbery.
Unfortunately for the gang, the police had removed the Millennium Star from its £60,000 armoured cabinet and replaced the collection of diamonds with replicas. The police were also watching developments on the ground via CCTV and undercover officers carrying miniaturized video surveillance equipment. We were also told that the Millennium Collection has a 'sophisticated surveillance and protection system' as a further statement of the bleedin' obvious.
At the end of this first episode of the prosecutor's opening statement, the trial was adjourned until Thursday. (Possibly because Mr. Hislop is double-booked on another case.)
filed by Saraman Zinovief [s.zinovief@md.news.uk]
Dome Robbery The Accused | | The Millennium Star Pic : Oliver Strange Agency. | A total of twelve arrests were made between the day of the alleged attempt to steal the fabulous Millennium Star diamond in November last year and the end of May this year. Three of the suspects were released without charge. Two pleaded guilty to various offences and they await sentence when the main trial is over.
Those on trial at the Old Bailey are: Walter Denisov, 48, of Bermondsey, London; Michael Ianbow, 57, of Dalston, London; Peter Burnside, 51, from Deal, Kent; Eustace Carmaggio, 36, of Islington, London; Alan Redmond, 39, of no fixed address; Karl Malvern, 43, from Catford, London, and William Tyler, 45, from Ashingford, Kent.
Basically, those arrested at the Dome were charged with 'conspiracy to rob' and 'conspiracy to steal' charges were laid against those arrested in the vicinity of the Dome and others suspected of assisting in the planning and preparations for the 'job'. All five men arrested at the Dome deny the main charge but they have admitted the lesser charge of 'conspiracy to steal'.
filed by Jarvic Klute [j.klute@md.news.uk] |
| |