Hatton Garden heist: Ringleader buried his loot in graves of two relatives, court hears

One of the ringleaders of the Hatton Garden jewellery heist buried his stash in the cemetery plots of two relatives but only revealed one of them to the police, a court has heard.

Daniel Jones, 58, who has admitted his part in the country’s biggest ever burglary, offered to tell detectives where he had hidden his share of the £14 million worth of jewellery, gems and gold following his arrest.

He told officers he had buried the items in a memorial plot at Edmonton Cemetery in north London, belonging to a male relative of his partner, and said if he was taken from prison he could show them exactly where it was hidden.

But before taking him up on his offer, suspicious officers from Scotland Yard’s Flying Squad, searched the area themselves and found a large stash hidden under the memorial stone of his father-in-law.

A short time later Jones was taken from prison and led police to the first plot where a smaller stash of jewellery was hidden.

Details of Jones’s attempt to dupe the police emerged on the second day of the Hatton Garden trial, where four men are facing charges of conspiracy to burgle and launder the proceeds of the crime.

Philip Jones, prosecuting, told the jury at Woolwich Crown Court, said: “Following his plea of guilty to the conspiracy to burgle one of the defendants, Mr Jones, offered to take the police to the place where he had buried some of the proceeds from this crime and which were part of his share.

"Whilst arrangements were being put in place for that to happen the police conducted their own investigations to see whether they could find Mr Jones ‘stash’ before they took Mr Jones to show them.”

Mr Evans explained how detectives established that one of the plots in Edmonton cemetery bore the name of a man called Sidney James Hart, who was the father of his partner, Valerie Hart.

He went on: “Having obtained permission to do so the police searched the memorial site by digging up the ground under the memorial stone.

“There were two bags, one blue, which was sealed with tape and one red, orange and white, which contained a large quantity of jewellery.”

Mr Evans continued: “One week later on the 15th October the police did take Mr Jones out of prison so that he could show them where the jewellery was hidden. He was not told of the earlier find.

“Mr Jones directed the police, perhaps unsurprisingly, to the same cemetery in Edmonton. He then identified an area of the cemetery and a memorial stone.

“This memorial stone was however for a man named Sidney John Hart, who may also be another relation of Valerie Hart, the mother of Daniel Jones’ children.

“Underneath the memorial stone Mr Jones revealed what appeared to be a black and orange bag. That bag has now been opened and found to contain various items of gold and jewellery and a much smaller number of packets or Brifkas containing precious stones.

“Mr Jones then told the police that he was the only person who knew it was there, and, importantly, he said ‘There’s no other outstanding property. That is all I had’.

“He was then specifically asked whether there was anywhere else the police needed to go in order to recover property, and he replied,’That’s all I had. The rest of it you got on the day’. Mr Jones was then returned to the prison.”

Mr Evans said Jones had not told police about the existence of the larger stash because he wanted to keep it for his “future use”.

The Guv'nor 'gets cold feet'

Two of the men accused of the Hatton Garden heist, including the one known as The Guv’nor, got cold feet and abandoned the burglary after failing to gain entry to the vault on the first night, the court heard.

Brian Reader, 76, who has admitted his role and Carl Wood, 58, who is standing trial for conspiracy to burgle, walked away as the gang prepared a second stab at raiding the safety deposit unit.

Police surveillance bugs later picked up the successful raiders mocking them for losing their nerve at the crucial moment.

On the second day of the trial into the country’s largest ever burglary, the jury at Woolwhich Crown Court heard how the first attempt to drill into the vault failed when the gang hit the metal cabinet on the other side of the concrete wall.

Unable to shift the unit, which was bolted to the ceiling and floor, the thieves eventually admitted defeat and left Hatton Garden empty handed.

But after purchasing new equipment, including an industrial pump and hose, from a shop in Twickenham, they returned to the scene the following night to make another assault on the vault.

Philip Evans, prosecuting told the jury at Woolwich Crown Court: “Why the second pump and hose was required is not clear. One possibility is that the base was shattered on the first night, which apparently can happen if it is not exactly perpendicular when in use

“It is difficult to purchase an individual part, and of course these customers were limited for time, so it was therefore an entirely new kit that needed to be secured.”

However, despite being armed with the new power tools, Reader - a seasoned criminal who had played a key role in planning the raid - decided to walk away.

Mr Evans explained that CCTV footage showed the gang arriving at around 9.30pm but he said: “Brian Reader, on this occasion was nowhere to be seen and it appears that he had decided he no longer wanted any part in the activities at Hatton Garden.”

He said a short time later Mr Wood also seemed to have had second thoughts, leaving the scene before entering the building.

Mr Evans said: “It appears from the CCTV as if Mr Wood then exits the area to the left of Leather Lane. The man the Crown says is Mr Wood is not seen again on the CCTV and it appears for whatever reason he decided at this point that he wanted out and he left the scene.”

Police recordings of two of the ringleaders discussing the crime afterwards captured them talking about Mr Wood getting “cold feet”.

In an expletive laden exchange between Terry Perkins and Daniel Jones, which was read to the court Mr Evans said: “They were contrasting a person who never thought they would get into the vault and Carl, suggesting that Carl lost his nerve at the time.

“Mr Perkins said: ‘He thought we would never get in, ‘cause even the **** I said give it another half hour *** we’ve done everything we can do, if we can’t get in, we won’t be able to get in will we?’.”

Detectives used lip readers

Detectives investigating the Hatton Garden heist used lip readers as part of a sophisticated surveillance operation to monitor the suspects, it was alleged.

The gang got away with £14 million in jewellery, gems, cash and bullion following an audacious raid at the Hatton Garden Safety Deposit Company over the Easter weekend.

But within a fortnight the suspects were being watched by officers from Scotland Yard’s Flying Squad as they met to discuss what to do with the proceeds of what was the country’s biggest ever burglary.

From April 17 the alleged thieves were observed regularly meeting at pubs, cafes and restaurants around London.

On May 1, John Collins, Terry Perkins and Brian Reader, who have all admitted their role in the burglary, were filmed while having a drink at the Castle pub in Islington, where detectives believe much of the raid was planned.

A lip reader then deciphered some of the conversation in which Perkins appeared to explaining how they had used a hydraulic pump to

break into the vault.

He tells his alleged co-conspirators: “…yeah but he went down … to find a pump … boom…okay, a big one … and so you ?wind everything around … the whole, the whole thing becomes smaller, ‘you know the old chap … he walked in and he panicked.”

Prosecutor Philip Evans told the jury: “Perkins was clearly explaining the operation of the pump and hose and the noise of the cabinets falling over. Brian Reader had not been present on the second night, so would not have known in detail what had taken place.”

As well as using lip readers, the police also bugged two of the cars being used by the suspects.

Extracts of the expletive laden exchanges were also read to the jury.

In one conversation Daniel Jones, who has also pleaded guilty, is heard bragging to Perkins about their success in the burglary, using Cockney rhyming slang.

He tells him: “The biggest cash robbery in history at the time and now the biggest tom [Tom Foolery – Jewellery] history in the f****** world, that’s what they are saying … And what a book you could write f****** hell.”

In another conversation bugged by the police Perkins discusses his plans for his share of the loot, telling Jones: “I’m going to melt my good gold down … The Indian, the 18, that could be my pension if I could get half an idea of what’s there, you know what I mean…”

On May 19 police who had been watching the suspects followed them to a house in Sterling Road in Enfield.

When detectives burst in they discovered three large black hold-all a stuffed with jewels.

Among the millions of pounds worth of items recovered were precious stones including diamonds and sapphires, luxury wrist watches, rings, necklaces and broaches worth many thousands of pounds each.

The defendants

Jones has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to burgle along with John Collins, 74, Brian Reader, 76 and Terrence Perkins, 67.

Carl Wood, 58, William Lincoln, 60 and Jon Harbinson, 42, are alleged to have conspired with the gang to commit burglary, but deny the charge. They also deny conspiring to launder the proceeds of the burglary.

Hugh Doyle, 48, a plumber from Enfield is accused of helping to dispose of the spoils, but denies the charge.

The trial continues.