The faces of convicted gang members who conspired to steal millions of pounds’ worth of jewellery before tying up and terrorising victims in their own homes have been released. On one occasion, offenders wearing boiler suits and motorcycle helmets smashed their way into an art gallery and made off with a diamond encrusted tiara worth around £3.5million.
The audacious raid at Nottinghamshire’s Welbeck Estate was later linked to a series of violent robberies – including at the homes of two international footballers. Nottinghamshire Police began a major investigation after the carefully planned raid at the Harley Gallery on November 20, 2018.
Items taken included the Portland Tiara - made for the Duchess of Portland to wear at the coronation of Edward VII and Queen Alexandra in 1902 – and a matching brooch. Detectives were later able to link the raid to a series of subsequent robberies and burglary in early 2019 when they raided a shop (Paris Jewels) in London’s Hatton Garden where they believed the tiara had been taken.
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Inside they found a plastic bag containing a stash of jewellery and an FA Cup runners-up medal stolen the day before from the home of a professional footballer. The officers established that the goods had only been delivered to the shop around 15 minutes before they arrived.
Officers then worked backwards, using mobile phone and traffic camera analysis to link gang members to the same shop the day after a series to violent robberies across Nottinghamshire and Surrey.
Following a 13-week trial at Nottingham Crown Court, six of the gang members were found guilty on 8 July.
Ashley Cumberpatch formerly of First Avenue, Carlton was convicted of three counts of conspiracy to commit burglary, five counts of converting criminal property and three counts of conspiracy to commit robbery.
Andrew Macdonald, 42, of Berridge Road West, The Arboretum was convicted of three counts of conspiracy to commit burglary, five counts of converting criminal property and three counts of conspiracy to commit robbery.
Kurtis Dilks, aged 35, of Whitegate Vale, Clifton was convicted of three counts of conspiracy to commit burglary, four counts of converting criminal property, two counts of robbery and three counts of conspiracy to commit robbery.
Tevfik Guccuk was convicted of five counts of converting criminal property.
Sercan Evsin was convicted of four counts of converting criminal property.
Christopher Yorke was convicted of converting criminal property.
They have been remanded into custody and will be sentenced on Friday 15 July, at Nottingham Crown Court.
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