A trusted computer engineer accused of being a key
A trusted computer engineer accused of being a key ‘insider’ to a professional team of burglars raiding a City finance house was today (Fri) cleared by a jury.
Patrick Nwigwe, 29, blamed ‘coincidence’ for his arrest after a pnds stlng 1.
7 million theft of computer equipment at Deutsche Bank.
Nwigwe repeatedly denied he was part of the team of crooks and insisted he was an ‘innocent man’ – despite claims he was telling a ‘pack of lies’ with a convenient story ‘cobbled together’ to explain his movements.
A jury of seven men and five women took over six hours to acquit the hi-tech engineer after a two week trial.
Last November, raiders stole computer equipment having entered the Houndsditch offices of Deutsche Bank.
London’s Southwark Crown Court heard at least four smartly dressed burglars, all wearing suits and ties, walked into the premises posing as genuine employees.
Paul Addison, prosecuting, said the plan needed an insider – alleging computer consultant Nwigwe provided information as to the type of equipment in the bank, its location, security, and the essential layout of the building.
The court heard the burglary took place between 2.
30pm and 7.
30pm on November 20, when 49 Sun Micro Systems mother boards were stolen from the computer server room within the bank.
Mr Addison said at leat four men entered the bank.
‘All were smartly dressed and entered unlawfully.
‘Some, apparently, by showing identity passes purporting to show they were bank employees, some got in by tailgating legitimate bank employees through security turnstiles.
‘
Mr Addison continued: ‘The mother boards have been valued at pnds stlng 1,704,590 – quite a substantial amount of property was stolen.
‘This was a well planned, highly organised, and professional burglary, which, say the prosecution, required the provision of inside information – someone had to help those burglars to commit the crime.
‘The man that provided that inside information, say the Crown, is this defendant.
‘
Nwigwe, of Santley Street, Clapham, sw London, denied the burglary at Deutsche Bank.
At the time he was an IT computer consultant with G&A Technical Services, contracted to work at the institution on the maintenance of its equipment.
On the day of the burglary, Nwigwe was working at Deutsche Bank offices on another site – but went to Houndsditch and entered through a rear loading bay, staying just over six minutes.
He is alleged to have been in contact with the burglars through a mobile telephone and actually opened the door of the main computer room to the gang.
But Nwigwe, who admitted he could not remember his exact movements, said he believed he was looking for a colleague or trying to locate a piece of machinery.
He agreed he was captured on CCTV opening the door to leave as one of the gang entered.
‘It’s a coincidence,’ he said.
But Mr Addison asked: ‘You open the door and walk out and that man walks straight in.
.
.
you do not say anything to him, nor even look at him.
Were you not concerned as to who he might be?’
Nwigwe replied: ‘It’s not my job.
.
.
I was not concerned, whoever comes in, comes in.
‘
He denied he let the man in ‘on purpose’ or that he knew the man was waiting for him to open the door – adding it was a coincidence he had just answered a call on his mobile.
Mr Addison asked whether it was ‘complete coincidence’ that Nwigwe was calling or taking calls from a mobile number that was also making or receiving calls from the burglars.
‘I suggest this in indicative of you making contact with the burglars.
It shows you were in contact with the co-ordinator involved in that burglary,’ he said.
But Nwigwe said he was trying to contact a ‘DJ Street’, a disc jockey and promoter, he hoped would help him book the ‘Heartless Crew’ for a December ‘rave’ he was organising.
He said he could not explain how the same ‘phone number was also involved with the gang.
‘I do not know who he calls after I speak to him’.
Nwigwe denied he was lying and again stressed ‘it is a coincidence.
‘
He admitted old security passes later found at his home would be ‘useful’ to burglars and that a computer catalogue – listing weight size, configurations, and spare part numbers – might also ‘help’ someone trying to sell equipment.
He said he innocently kept old passes to have them reactivated should the need arise and all his colleagues had such booklets.
And Nwigwe repeatedly insisted it was ‘not true’ he was part of a team of bandits.
ends
