Pierce was in serious financial trouble at the time so Agar gave him most of this. He admitted, as I had suspected, that he had been part of a loose federation of a dozen or so topclass burglars and robbers who were active in the Sixties and Seventies, stealing millions. In 1988 DCSI Tony Lundy retired aged 49 to the Costa del Sol for a quiet retirement; where one of his neighbours was Mickey Green by then Britain's most wanted criminal and biggest drug dealer. Date: March 24, 1972. At Dover Town station, the two men collected the two carpetbags and went to the Dover Castle Hotel where they had a drink and left to catch the 02.00hrs train back to London. This is the barest outline of the story. He also went into the office every day to enquire about his package, choosing a time whenthe clerk, Charles Chapman,did not have any other customers and was busy cashing up. From the letter, Fanny surmised that Henry thought she and Edward were no longer in London and that she was financially well cared for asHenry had given Pierce money for them. What are the Top 10 Silver Coins for Investment? Much of the original haul from the robbery has still not been recovered by police to this day. The following factors may prevent the notifications from being sent on time or at all: Copyright 1996 - 2023 iCollector.com Online Auctions. You can choose to be notified via SMS Text message and/or Email via the subscription settings page in your account. Over the next 20 years you can see that Reader had turned his hand to what would become his specialisms of burglary and handling stolen property. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in, Paul Lashmar reveals that the same man masterminded both raids, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. [9] Evidence came for this from the statistics for armed robbery in the Metropolitan area. In 1972, the annual total of armed robberies in the Metropolitan district was 380 the year after Smalls, it had reduced to 168. A cowboy heads for the town where his father was To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. 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The two menalso bought four large leather courier (shoulder) bags that they packed into a carpetbag. On 9 February 1970 Smalls led a team of robbers from The Wembley Mob, including Mickey Green, on an insider-led raid on a branch of Barclays Bank at 144 High Road, Ilford. You need to sign in to tag. Empires, industries, and personal fortunes have been built on bullion for millennia. Following this they made out thatthey were not together but not long after Agar returned to London telling Pierce that the robbery was impossible. Privacy Policy | Orderable at item level. "The first thing I knew was a man pointing a semi-automatic pistol at my face and telling us all to hit the floor," Riseley told the news outlet. Agar arranged for hisconsignment toarrive at Folkestonethree days after he did. Burgess was to give the signal bytaking his hat off and wiping his face with a large handkerchief. Read tagging guidelines. At the quay side railway station theysaw that the chest, in which the bullion was carried, was onlytransported onthe mail train and thatthe chesthad two locks. Convicted. The lockson the other twowere still seized up. Pierce gotintoa first class carriage and when no one was looking Agar climbed into Burgesss van. Smalls also later ensured the release of Jimmy Saunders, jailed by DCI Bert Wickstead for his part in the 1970 Ilford robbery, after a statement in which he said Saunders was not part of the gang. On the third day, when his consignment was due,Agar bound two fingers of his right hand with a black silk finger-stall. Both men werewearing caped short coats and Pierce had on hisblack wig under a broad rimmed hat. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Edward was still in the house and it was Mrs Pierce whoanswered her banging on the door. Out of this money, Henry asked Fanny to buy a silver cup for Edward and one each for Pierces children to remind them of Henry. It did not require the second key. You can become a London Historians member here. Police immediately turned their attention to inside man Black, as he had arrived late that morning, and he eventually named three of the alleged robbers - his brother-in-law Brian Robinson, Micky McAvoy and Tony White. Weekly silver buy easy as usual another happy customer. We'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when "The armed robbers are back so is the Flying Squad", "Old-style villain is revealed as UK's most wanted man", "Network TV Programme Information Week 20 Unplaced 2007", "Bertie Smalls: Armed robber turned supergrass", UK Guardian on Smalls as portrayed in the BBC documentary "Supergrass", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bertie_Smalls&oldid=1129559596, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 26 December 2022, at 02:04. Each case was Mrs Pierce contended that the money was given to her personally, not in trust, but the ruling went against her and Edward received his full entitlement. the number of robberies per 100,000 population) from 2009 to 2017. There was another associate known as Little Legs a common nickname at the time for short men. ", At the centre of Sir Robert's focus was Criminal Investigation Department, and its pinnacle the Flying Squad Ken Drury, commander of the Flying Squad and one of his inspectors, Alistair Ingram, later went to prison for corruption.[2]. When he did show up, he feigned going to the toilet - before letting the other robbers inside. Today, gold and silver are prized as safe haven investments, hedges against uncertainty. Since my contact detailed the real Baker Street story, I have been able to confirm his claims with other underworld figures and documents in the National Archives that the police knew who else was involved in the raid. The train set out from an east London depot last night on a route that involved four stops at signals in the London area before it was to head for the southeast port of Dover to cross the Channel. In 1980, Gervaise was arrested by the Robber Squad and turned Queenss Evidence becoming a supergrass. The heist involved the theft of a consignment of gold bullion being conveyed between London and Paris under heavy lock and key on behalf of three companies. Something went wrong. But in July 1986, Reader was convicted of handling Brinks Mat gold and was sentenced to nine years. On that occasion theyhad stolen 800 from an iron safe kept in the basement after making a duplicate key. Just starting to invest. He denied it but admitted he knew the people who had been in the gang. Brian Readers criminal record belies the fact he was one of Britains most serious criminals, an associate of the Adams crime family and a right-hand man to road-rage murderer and arch-criminal Kenny Noye. He was gunned down and killed at his Marbella home in 1990. View the catalogue description for. Albeit, when it came tothe washhouse andspare bedroom they did need agood clean. The remaining gold bars were taken to Agars house where the two men created a furnace, first in the backyard washhouse, but they were concerned that the noise would arouse suspicion. WebBuy & Sell Gold and Silver Bullion Coins and Bars online | Kitco News Ask (USD) Gold 1,832.80 0.27% Silv 20.84 1.04% Plat 966.00 0.10% Pall 1,490.00 0.80% Buy from Kitco Coins, Rounds, Bars, Collectibles, MintFirst Sell to Kitco Coins, Bars, Highest Buyback Prices Kitco Pool - Metal Accounts Low Premium Precious Metals Trading Account Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? What was The Great Train Robbery? CabY2g)gZ(w/foe. They were all eventually arrested and in December 1984, Robinson and McAvoy were jailed for 25 years each and Black was sentenced to six years. It eventually emerged that the deed was done on the London Bridge Station to Folkestone leg on the South Eastern Railway, by four men who were at the centre of a wider network of accomplices essential to breaking security in a long and meticulously-planned operation. The letter came care of Pierce, dated 2nd of that month and the address was given as Portsea whereHenry was held awaiting Transportation. That's what counts with me. They ultimately pulled off the Crime of the Century on November 26, 1983 - now known as the Brink's-Mat bullion robbery - stealing 6,800 gold ingots, diamonds and cash, which would be worth 100million today. The supergrass system was taken to its pinnacle by a Metropolitan Police officer named the "supergrass master", running the system from Finchley DCI Tony Lundy. The other two men convicted only had minor roles in the raid. A source told Clarkson: "Certain people wanted their share of the gold and when it wasnt there waiting for them, they started getting very upset.". Speaking about the ordeal to The Guardian in 2003, Scouse recalled how their colleague, Tony Black, had been running late that morning. They took out as many as they estimated the weight of the amount shot thatthey had left. Date: March 24, 1972. Readers lawyer said that his client vehemently denied being on the Baker Street raid. Buyer pays shipping to include $0.050 per lot handling.Estimated at USPS Rates to include insurance tracking info. Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / Collections Start These, Agar assumed, was Californian gold not only because of the colour but becausethe bars were much smaller. The six defendants, mainly middle-aged men from Essex, were being sentenced for conspiracy to steal after a British lorry carrying gold and silver bullion was Even today, people who grass about minor things are said to be "doing a Bertie Smalls". Lundy was returned to the reformed Flying Squad and after a two-year investigation fully cleared. A radio ham had picked up the gangs walkie-talkie transmissions but the police failed to catch them red-handed. When Riseley and fellow guard Michael Scouse began their shift on November 26, 1983, they had no idea of the horrors to come. Great Bullion Robbery Part II. The bullion was put into the shoulder bags and these along with the spare carpetbags into the two large carpetbags. In the case of a 1972-S 40% silver Eisenhower dollar, this will have little bearing on the coins value in most cases. I have been ordering for years An agreement was drawn up between Smalls and the Director of Public Prosecutions, Sir Norman Skelhorn, that gave Smalls immunity from prosecution in exchange for his help. The theft was discovered when the train, carrying $650,000 worth of silver bars and chippings and Italian lira, was given a routine check in South London early this morning. The four investigators then went to Agars former home in Shepherds Bush. f,a%1E67Mp^-Qk$'|7v\qD.%{v, oKs|X[& Much to the astonishment of the court, Reader managed to abscond and left the UK. This theycarriedin carpetbags to Agars home in Shepherds Bush andkept it in a locked trunk. Bullion Bars Ask $21,265.00 +244.00 Bid $20,595.00 +244.00 Silver 100 oz Bullion Bars Ask $2,272.00 +24.00 Bid $2,194.00 +24.00 Silver Kilo Bar Ask $739.07 +7.91 Bid $696.02 +7.91 Silver American Eagles Ask $29.65 +0.24 Yearly average data and charts (1833 - present). Routine checks of bullion trains were initiated after similar raid in November, 1970, a few miles from where today's was discovered. The prosecution was conducted by William Henry Bodkin (1791-1874) the Recorder of Dover (1834-1874). [2], As part of his deal with the police, Smalls received a new identity. These were the days before extradition agreements. He was visited by Reader who was also on his toes and accompanied by family members. Fanny had covered these with rugs in anticipation of taking in a lodger. After McAvoy's arrest, The Guardian reports a man called Brian Perry, who ran a minicab agency in east London,brought in Kenneth Noye to help recruit people to smelt the gold. They were not interested in peoples houses they cleared out warehouses and jewellery workshops often around Hatton Garden. 1000s of new photos added daily. In other words, silver round prices are much closer to the silver spot price than comparable 1 oz silver bullion coins. Smalls was caught in a suburb of Northampton and spent Christmas in police custody in London. Thank you! WebInteractive chart of Washington, Iowa robbery statistics (i.e. O'Mahoney faced a minimum of 20 years but was sentenced eventually to 5 years. WebLive Gold and Silver Prices in USA. Back in London,Agarand Pierce bought about 2cwt of lead shot from different outlets. Fanny reached the front door before Pierce had kicked it open. After several more brushes with the law, Palmer, then 64, was gunned down and killed in June 2015 in his gated home near Brentwood, Essex. Derek Creighton "Bertie" Smalls (12 June 1935 31 January 2008) was considered by many as Britain's first supergrass. With one of the keys he opened a cupboard in which there was the second key the one Agar wanted an impression of. If, on conviction of the others involved in the robbery he was allowed to go to a country of his own choosing and never to return to Great Britain again. Paul Lashmar is head of journalism at the University of Sussex. WebThe Perth Mint manufactures and sells gold, silver and platinum collector coins; gold and silver bullion bars and coins; luxury jewellery. The jury found Noye not guilty of murder, on the grounds of self-defence. Two years after that, in 1998, Hatton Garden jeweller Solly Nahome - who had handled some of the gold - was shot dead outside his home in Finchley, London. Later they met up with Tester who gave them the part of the consignment he had taken off the train at Redhill. Palmer was finally jailed for eight years at the Old Bailey in 2001 for timeshare fraud after cheating money out of 17,000 Brits. Brian Reader who had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary over the raid at Hatton Garden Safety Deposit in April 2015. He did this after the Baker Street Robbery in 1971 and then again when he absconded from trial in 1982. WebJohn David BRETT, George Henry INCE, Ronald MOLLOY and Francis Frederick SIMS: robbery of silver bullion on 2 May 1972 at Mountnessing, Essex. Burgess said that he was not keen on taking part in the robbery but Pierce talked him round. Subscribe now for regular news, updates and priority booking for events, All content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0, except where otherwise stated, DPP - Records of the Director of Public Prosecutions, DPP 2 - Director of Public Prosecutions: Case Papers, New Series, About our CANYONLANDS NATIONAL PARK UTAH RARE HIGH RELIEF 1972 MEDALLIC ART BEAUTIFUL VINTAGE ITEM---ONLY ONE . There theyfound traces of gold adhering tothe firebricks in the washhouse and in the spare room. I have purchased many times through you because I trust you. Many options to check out. WebThe suspect, Danny Steven's Jr., is now facing a list of charges including first-degree robbery and a felon in control of a firearm. The Canadian Silver Maple Leaf coins are legal tender valued at about USD $5 per ounce. Silver American Eagle Coins (Special Releases & Sets), Silver American Eagle Coins (Special Occasions), Silver American Eagle Coins (Capsules, Tubes, Boxes & Albums), 4.9 Overall Satisfaction Rating, the Highest Score in the Industry. This article originally appeared on London Historians. After the robbery, the gang hid at Leatherslade Farm. "The company had just changed the combinations and I hadn't memorised the new one, so the safe wouldn't open," he recalled. Of Agars money, theCourt of Chancery ruledthat 3,000 belonged to Fanny Kay and her son Edward, as she hadplayed no part in the robbery. Heagain inquired about his package at a time Chapman was cashing up but this time the clerkassured Agar that it had. Reader avoided more convictions by going on his toes disappearing abroad whenever the police were getting too close. By this time, the train had reached Redhill and Pierce came to the van. Where And How To Celebrate Women's History Month 2023 In London, 66 Magnificent Things To Do In London In March 2023. User Agreement. However, the whole thing unravelled the following year, only because Agars girlfriend (possibly ex-girlfriend) one Fanny Kay who was recruited to act as a receiver failed to get a payment from Pierce, and blew the whistle to the governor of Newgate Prison. Using a taper provided by Burgess, they waxed on new seals that had been purchased by Pierce for the purpose. The larger box contained Messrs Abell consignment and the smaller, Messrs Spielmanns. For additional information, see the Global Shipping Program, This amount includes applicable customs duties, taxes, brokerage and other fees. Order was a day later than expected, but received the following day. Together Agar and Pierce emptied the remaining gold bars from the large box and the small box, in which there wasa considerable amount of foreign gold coins.