He's got form: Hatton Garden heist ringleader 'The Master' was sent to jail over his part in the £26million Brink's Mat gold bullion armed robbery 32 years agoHatton Garden burglars were involved in the infamous £26million Brink's Mat gold heist in 1983 and the £6million Security Express cash robbery in the same year, a court heard yesterday.
The £14million Easter weekend raid was the 'largest burglary in English legal history' - but two of the 'ringleaders' had been involved in the 'biggest acquisitive crime of the last century', the court heard yesterday.
Brian 'The Master' Reader, 76, Terry Perkins, 67, John 'Kenny' Collins, 75, and Daniel Jones, 60, have all admitted carrying out the Hatton Garden burglary, which saw thieves escape with gems, jewellery, cash and precious metals.
The criminal history of the four men was yesterday laid bare at Woolwich Crown Court as prosecutor Philip Stott read out a series of 'agreed facts' to the jury.
He said Reader was jailed for eight years at the Old Bailey in 1986 for conspiracy to handle stolen goods by assisting in the disposal of £26million in gold bullion stolen by armed robbers from Brink's Mat, near London's Heathrow Airport in November 1983.
The Brink's Mat bullion theft remains one of the biggest and most notorious heists ever to take place in Britain. The gold taken was worth around £500million at today's gold prices.
Reader was also convicted of dishonestly handling £66,000 in cash and was handed a further year sentence.
Meanwhile, Perkins was handed a 22-year sentence in June 1985 for his role in the Security Express robbery in Shoreditch and stole £6million from the vaults of Securicor.
The court heard Collins also has a string of convictions for crimes including robbery, handling stolen goods and fraud dating back to 1961.
Jones also has a lengthy criminal record dating back to 1975, with convictions for robbery, handling stolen goods and and burglary.
He was jailed for five years on 21 July 1982 at Snaresbrook Crown Court for stealing jewellery worth £92,000 from Ratner's Jewellery Ltd.
Four other men are on trial accused of being involved in the Hatton Garden raid.
Carl Wood, 58, of Cheshunt, Hertfordshire; William 'Bill' Lincoln, 60, of Bethnal Green, east London; and Jon Harbinson, 42, of Benfleet, Essex, all face the charge of conspiracy to commit burglary between May 17 2014 and April 5 this year.
Jurors yesterday also heard details of what Harbinson said in his police interview after his arrest on May 21.
Harbinson has held a Hackney Carriage license for the past 12 years and usually works in the afternoons and evenings around the eastern side of London, including The City and Liverpool Street station.
He told detectives: 'I am totally innocent of any involvement in this burglary in Hatton Garden. I am not a thief - I have worked hard all my life. I presently work six days a week as a taxi driver to provide for my family.'
Harbinson told police: 'The first I knew of any family member being involved in this burglary was on Wednesday morning when my aunt told me my uncle (Lincoln) had been arrested for this high-profile burglary.'
He added: 'I am totally innocent about this matter in Hatton Garden. I am unable to help police in this matter in any way. I have morals and I would not nick anything.'
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clearly my pension has been in the wrong place all these years !