WEALTHY BUILDER KENNETH NOYE MASTERMINDED A ‘SIMPL

WEALTHY BUILDER KENNETH NOYE MASTERMINDED A ‘SIMPLE’

SCHEME TO FLOOD THE GOLD MARKET WITH BULLION STOLEN IN THE #26 BRINKS

MAT ROBBERY, A COURT HEARD TODAY TUESDAY.

VAST AMOUNTS OF GOLD, STOLEN IN BRITAINS BIGGEST EVER

ROBBERY, WERE MELTED DOWN, DISGUISED AND THEN SLIPPED BACK ONTO THE

MARKET MAKING HUGE PROFITS, AN OLD BAILEY JURY WAS TOLD.

MR MICHAEL CORKERY, QC, PROSECUTING, SAID THAT ONLY A VERY

SMALL AMOUNT OF THE GOLD HAS BEEN RECOVERED.

AND NOT SATISFIED WITH MAKING HUGE SUMS OF MONEY BY

SELLING THE STOLEN GOLD THE GANG ALSO PLANNED TO CHEAT THE TAXMAN AND

AVOID PAYING VAT ON IT, IT WAS ALLEGED.

THE HAUL WAS STOLEN FROM THE BRINK’S-MAT BULLION VAULTS,

ON THE HEATHROW TRADING ESTATE, HOUNSLOW, MIDDLESEX IN NOVEMBER 1983.

ARMED RAIDERS THREATENED TO TURN SECURITY MEN INTO HUMAN

FIREBALLS UNLESS THEY HANDED OVER KEYS TO THE VAULTS.

THE ROBBERS ESCAPED WITH GOLD, DIAMONDS AND AND OTHER

VALUABLES WORTH #26.

4 MILLION.

MR CORKERY TOLD THE JURY THAT THE DISPOSAL OF SUCH A

HUGE AMOUNT OF GOLD — ALMOST THREE TONNES OF IT — PRESENTED

TREMENDOUS PROBLEMS FOR THE ROBBERS.

‘FIRST THERE IS THE SHEER BULK AND SIZE OF IT.

SECONDLY

THERE IS THE IDENTIFYING MARKS ON THE BARS AND INGOTS,’ HE SAID.

NOYES’ ANSWER TO THE PROBLEM WAS TO DISPOSE OF THE GOLD IN

SMALL PARCELS.

‘THE IDEA WAS TO PUT IT INTO THE LEGITIMATE GOLD

TRADE, AND, IF POSSIBLE, TO RELEASE IT WITHIN A FEW PER CENT OF THE

THE ORDINARY MARKET PRICE FIXED ON THE LONDON BULLION MARKET,’ SAID

MR CORKERY.

MORE.

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CENTRAL-GOLD.

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2

HE ADDED:’THE PLAN SMACKED OF SIMPLICITY.

IT INVOLVED

RE-SMELTING OF THE GOLD SO THAT THE MARKS WERE REMOVED, AND

ALTERING THE SIZE OF THE GOLD BARS AND THEIR QUALITY.

‘

MR CORKERY SAID: ‘KENNETH NOYE WAS REALLY THE MAINSPRING

OF THE WHOLE MATTER.

HE CONTROLLED THE HANDLING OF A LARGE AMOUNT OF

THE STOLEN GOLD.

‘

IN ORDER TO MAKE THE PLAN SUCCEED IT WAS ‘VITAL’ THAT THE

GANG COULD PROVIDE BOGUS DOCUMENTATION TO GIVE THE GOLD ‘AN HONEST

HISTORY.

‘

ONCE THAT WAS DONE THE GOLD COULD BE RELEASED ONTO THE

MARKET THROUGH A DISHONEST GOLD DEALER, THE COURT HEARD.

THE DOCUMENTS MADE IT LOOK AS IF THE GOLD HAD BEEN BOUGHT

HONESTLY AND NOT STOLEN.

IT ALSO ENABLED THE GANG TO INCREASE THEIR

PROFITS BY CHEATING THE TAX MAN OUT OF 15 PER CENT VAT, THE JURY WAS

TOLD.

IN THE DOCK ACCUSED OF PLOTTING TO HANDLE STOLEN GOLD

BETWEEN NOVEMBER 25 1983 AND FEBRUARY 3 1985 ARE:-

NOYE, 37, COMPANY DIRECTOR, OF HOLLYWOOD COTTAGE, SCHOOL

LANE, WEST KINGSDOWN, KENT, BRIAN READER, 45, OF WINN RD, GROVE PARK,

SE LONDON, TERENCE PATCH, 41, CONTRACTOR, OF HOLLYHEDGE HOUSE, VEE

RD, FELTON, NEAR BRISTOL, GARTH CHAPPELL, 42, DIRECTOR, OF

STONEWALLS, LITTON, SOMERSET, THOMAS ADAMS, 25, ASPHALTER, OF MABER

HOUSE, CARNEGIE ST, ISLINGTON, MATTEO COSTANTINO, 66, JEWELLER, OF

HIGH RD, WHETSTONE, NORTH LONDON, AND MICHAEL LAWSON, 37, DIRECTOR,

OF TOP DARTFORD RD, HEXTABLE, KENT.

ALL, EXCEPT LAWSON, ALSO DENY FRAUDULENTLY EVADING VAT.

MR CORKERY SAID THAT ALL THE DEFENDANTS PLAYED A VITAL

PART IN THE OPERATION.

HE OUTLINED THEIR ALLEGED ROLES.

READER WOULD COLLECT THE GOLD FROM NOYE AND TAKE IT TO

LONDON.

ADAMS WOULD PICK IT UP AND WITH THE HELP OF OTHER MEN, WHO

HAVE NOT BEEN ARRESTED, DISTRIBUTE IT THROUGH VARIOUS COLLECTION

POINTS TO BRISTOL.

ONCE IN BRISTOL IT WOULD GO TO CHAPPELL AND PATCH.

CHAPPEL WAS A DIRECTOR OF SCADLYNN BULLION LTD.

THIS COMPANY HAD

ACCESS TO THE LEGITIMATE GOLD MARKET.

COSTANTINO PROVIDED FALSE DOCUMENTS TO MAKE THE GOLD LOOK

LEGAL.

MORE

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