How 'The Grandpa Gang' Pulled Off A 200 Million Dollar Jewel Heist
The Oldest Of The Robbers Was 74
Photo: London Metropolitan Police / via The WeekOne of the things that makes this heist so unusual and infamous is the ages of the people who carried it out. Of the eight men involved, all but one of the men were over the age of 50, and the majority were over 60. Terry Perkins was 67, John "Kenny" Collins was 75, Daniel Jones was 61, William "Billy the Fish" Lincoln was 60, Carl Wood was 59, and Hugh Doyle was 49, and 'Guvnor' Brian Reader was 76. The other thief, only known as Basil, does not have a known age.
Reader - the oldest and the original mastermind behind the scheme - was enjoying his retirement at the time of the heist. Although most of the men had a rather shady past, people who knew them described them as harmless, friendly, and kind; not at all the sort of people you'd expect to rob a jewelry deposit. This facade of mild old age actually played a major part in how they were able to manage the job.
They Took Nearly £200 Million In Jewels and Cash
Photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC-BYSo how many valuables were in the score? Well, it was the biggest jewel heist in England's history. Some reports estimate about £40 million in jewels was lifted, others say about £7 million in valuables was taken. Plus there was a whole mess of cash that was taken as well. In the end, the crew cracked open all the safety deposit boxes they could out of the roughly thousand inside the vault. It came to 73 boxes before they had to run, and this was enough to total £200 million worth of valuables, gems, and cash, according to some sources.
Some Of The Items They Stole Were Historical Artifacts
Photo: Serendipity Diamonds / flickr / CC-BY-ND 2.0While the whole event sounds pretty "cool," the fact is it had real, lasting damage on the bank, as well as the people who had things stored there. This wasn't just cash they were stealing, but actual, real valuables, including a few objects that are utterly irreplaceable and historically relevant.
Many of the deposit boxes contained diamonds and gems from jewel traders in the area, all of whom took major losses to their businesses. One man was an an Orthodox Jewish diamond dealer, whose family had escaped Nazi Germany. They'd sewn diamonds into their clothing in order to preserve some of their family's valuables, and the diamonds were then stored in Hatton Garden. Those same diamonds were stolen and never recovered. Another box belonged to an Indian family who was saving gold jewelry for a dowry for their daughter. Without the jewelry, they feared for their child's future. In other words, this heist hurt a lot of people, not just the bank.
They Pretended To Be Maintenance Men To Get Inside
Photo: Carlyle Ellis Photography/Human Quotient / flickr / CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0There were no signs of breaking and entering at the bank, and the front door had not been breached by force. So, how did they manage to get inside? The police said it did not look like an inside job, so they had to have tricked their way into the building. And that is precisely what happened.
No one ever looks twice at an aging maintenance man or janitor. They seem harmless, and given the age of these men, they probably didn't seem capable of doing something so criminal. It was because of this, as well as clever planning, the men were able to just walk into the building disguised as municipal workers. They wore reflective yellow vests that said "gas" on the back, hard hats, and white surgical masks to keep their identities hidden. Basil simply stayed in the building after people had gone home, and then let the rest of the men in through the fire escape.
They Had To Climb Down An Elevator Shaft And Through A Tiny Hole
Photo: Roger Haworth / Wikimedia CommonsThis robbery was not a simple smash and grab, and the kind of physical activity needed to pull it off was hardly easy for men of their age. When they first got into the building, they called the elevator, and then disabled it on the second floor. They then pried open the elevator doors and repelled down the elevator shaft about 14 feet to the basement. From there, they opened the steel shutter covering the door leading to the vault and disable the alarm by cutting the telephone wires. The alarm did sent an alert to the monitoring company, but not in time to stop them from getting away with the jewels.
After they drilled holes in the back of the safe, three circular holes overlapping side by side, they had to crawl through the tight opening, of only 10 by 18 inches. Then, the man inside had to smash open the deposit boxes and pass all the jewels through to their partners.
A Faulty Drill Forced Them To Abandon Their Initial Robbery, And Come Back Try Again
Photo: London Metropolitan Police / via BBCAs Reader saw it, if you wanted to steal diamonds, you wanted the diamond of drills to do it. He'd had experience with robbery before in his younger years, though nothing of this magnitude, and he decided to research what sorts of drills he could buy online. He finally settled on the Hilti DD350 diamond coring drill to go through the back of the vault to get at the jewels inside.
Unfortunately, the eventual attempt was fraught with issues, and one of them turned out to be the drill. When they initially tried to drill through on April 4, 2015, their placement was a bit off, and they instead drilled into the rear of the cabinet made of steel they couldn't get through. They prepared to use the drill again, but the pump jammed, rendering the drill completely useless. Eventually, they decided they had to give up and try again the next day with a better functioning drill.
They Hid The Stolen Items In Garbage Bins
Photo: Wesley Fryer / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0If you've seen the original Oceans 11, you might recall the would-be thieves used garbage bins to try to transport their loot. It didn't work out so well for them, but it worked out splendidly for the Grandpa Gang.
When the Grandpa Gang first arrived on scene, they got out of a white rented van, unloaded bags, tools, and of course, garbage bins. They brought them to the fire escape and left them there. Surveillance footage then showed them eventually coming back out, and loading tools and equipment into the van. They wheeled the garbage bins to the van, and it was obvious they were much heavier. No one batted an eye as they loaded up, because they were dressed as maintenance men, so it was easy for them to work without attracting too much attention. From there, they sped away into the night with their loot.
They Got Away With It For Over A Month
Photo: Andrew Davidson / Wikimedia CommonsWhile the Grandpa Gang finally was eventually caught, they got to savor sweet, wealthy freedom for more than a month. The Hatton Garden investigative teams began looking into the crimes right away, and it didn't take them long to get leads, but because the gang had done such an in-depth planning job, it took quite a while to put all the pieces together. They had to trace the car, examine all the surveillance photos, set up cameras and microphones to record conversations, then wait for the men to talk about the crime so they'd have evidence for an arrest.
They Planned The Job For Three Years
Photo: R. Haworth / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0When planning a major heist, it stands to reason you would take time to prepare. The "Grandpa Gang," as they're sometimes known, were extremely patient. They waited and planned for three years until they were sure everything was perfect.
In 2012, Daniel Jones - one of the ringleaders - first brought up the idea to a few others. It began as a simple musing by a retired man, but he couldn't get the thought out of his head. When he found that others had interest in the plan as well, he started the initial reconnaissance. And it took a whole lot of reconnaissance. The men would go in to observe the Hatton Garden hours, how workers moved, and began to do research on the vault itself. Before long, Jones was beginning to research and buy equipment online, and they had a plan to complete the plan a few years down the line.
One Of Them Took The Seniors Bus To The Crime Scene
Photo: James F Clay / flickr / CC-BY-NC 2.0There are some advantages to being a senior citizen, and one of them is transportation options. As the oldest member of the group, Reader easily old enough to have a senior citizen bus pass, which he used regularly. While others in the group were discussing rental cars to get to and from the scene, Reader was busy checking bus routes, trying to take full advantage of that senior discount.
On the night of the first robbery attempt on April 2, 2015, everyone else transported themselves in groups, but not Reader. Instead, he waited at the No. 96 bus stop near his home in Kent. He then swiped his senior pass, boarded the bus, and took it all the way to Hatton Garden, an 80-minute journey. Lucky for him the bus ride was free because of his age. Forget all those youngsters renting cars for a jewel heist, public transportation is the way to go!
They Used The Book "Forensics For Dummies" In Their Planning
Photo: Lauren Austral / YouTubeWhile these men were definitely professionals, they weren't above getting help. Self-help, that is! After police finally caught some of the men involved, they raided their houses searching for jewels, cash, and evidence of the heist. They found one particular piece of evidence that was particularly damning - a self help book titled Forensics For Dummies - that the gang used to research police investigation techniques, and how to avoid getting caught. And it probably was a pretty good investment. Police found no fingerprints, hair, or any forensic evidence at the scene.
They Were Given Funny Code Names Inspired By A Quentin Tarantino Film
Photo: Fair Use / Wikimedia CommonsIn Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs, all of the would-be thieves are referred to by color-coded nicknames, like Mister Pink and Mister White. The Grandpa Gang had a very similar situation. Instead of colors, the thieves were called by various nicknames a la Tarantino's style: The Gov, The Gent, Mr. Ginger, Mr. Basil, Mr. Strong, Mr. Montana, The Tall Man, and The Old Man.
These names came to be after CCTV footage of the robbery went public. A British newspaper started using these terms, and their popularity caught on.
They Did Most Of Their Planning At A Pub
When planning the biggest jewel heist in English history, you want to sit someplace secret and private, right? Well, the Grandpa Gang didn't exactly see it that way. Instead they preferred to do their planning and discussion sessions at a local pub. The Castle in Islington was where they decided to set up shop. There, they went over the details of the upcoming raid, even days before it happened. They also returned there afterwards to discuss how to split up the loot and what they would do with it.
The pub is still open, and the staff has been told not to talk about the Hatton Garden Heist. That being said, there are those that come there out of fascination, so business is still booming.
Some Of The Men Had Past Criminal Experience
Photo: Metaweb / CC-BYWhile these men may have appeared to be the unassuming sort, most of them had a rather shady past. Terry Perkins, in particular, had a long history of jail time and violence. He spent years in Spring Hill prison, and had been on the run for 17 years until 2012, when he finally was arrested. He had robbed a bank before, and during that time, he'd doused an employee in gasoline then threatened him with a box of matches. Hardly your cuddly old grandpa, more like a hardened criminal.
All the others had skills too. They were either good muscle, smart book-keepers, mechanics, or organizers, and each man brought his own expertise to the crime. In fact, two of the men, Perkins and Danny Jones, had attempted a very similar robbery only five years before. They'd made off with around £1 million in a smash-and-grab of jewels and cash, using maintenance disguises and a drill to get in.
One Man Hid His Stash In A Grave
Photo: robjstanley / flickr / CC-BY-NC 2.0Let's say you've robbed a bank, and you've got a lot of cash and jewels burning a hole in your pocket. Where do you stash the moola until it's safe to become a big spender? This was the dilemma the Hatton Garden heist members faced once the deed was finally done.
Each man had their own ideas about what to do with their share. Police found gems at the homes of several of the men, and other valuables were found, ironically, in deposit boxes. Kenny Collins, their logistics man, even hid his loot in casserole dishes. One man's ingenuity stands above the rest, though. Danny Jones took a portion of his jewels and money, and went to a graveyard where his family was buried. Then, he put his share beneath the graves, where they remained stored until police recovered them. Grim, but at least it was more creative than casserole dishes.
They Were Caught Because Of Their Getaway Car
On April 2 - the first attempt to breach the safety deposit area - they rented vans and cars to get to the scene, their oldest member and leader took the bus, and they were careful to hide their faces and characteristics from security footage. They even used walkie-talkies to avoid phone records. During their second try on April 8, however, they made one of the most basic mistakes you can make during a heist: Picking a bad getaway car.
Before the crime, Kenny Collins had driven his car - registered under his name - past Hatton Garden many times for scouting work. As it turns out, he drove past one too many times for investigative teams to ignore. He also took the car to the scene on the night of the successful robbery. The license plate was clearly visible, and because the car had long belonged to Collins, it was easy to trace back. The car showed up on previous footage too, and it only took a few days for investigators to decide this was their best lead. A month later, most of the other thieves were brought in.
One Of Them Is Still On The Loose
Photo: London Metropolitan Police / YouTubeDespite being caught, the Grandpa Gang didn't exactly rush to turn each other in, and one of the men remained an enigma to police and investigators. He is only known as "Basil," and he's still on the run with his share of the dough and jewels. On surveillance footage, we can see he has light, reddish hair, is tall, and looks a bit younger than many of the other men. But other than that, police have few leads. There is an offer of a £20,000 reward, though.
There are a lot of theories as to where he is. He might be in Russia, may be being hunted by mafia or hitmen. He could be in Panama, or still somewhere in London. Despite police claiming they're hot on his trail, he has not been caught. We do know some of the gang have given hints to his identity, but none of them have rolled over.
Kenny Collins, Daniel Jones, and Terry Perkins were found guilty of conspiracy to commit burglary and given a seven year sentence. Carl Wood and William Lincoln were found guilty of conspiracy to conceal, convert, or transfer criminal property and were given six and seven years in prison, respectively. Hugh Doyle was sentenced to 21 months for the same charge. Ringleader Brian Reader was sentenced to six years in prison, and an eighth man named Jon Harbinson was found not guilty. Reader later suffered a stroke.
There Are Multiple Movies Inspired By The Heist
Photo: BritFlicks.Com / YouTubeGiven the popularity of heist movies, and how fantastical this whole tale seems, it makes perfect sense that Hollywood would want to get their hooks into the Hatton Garden heist. One movie that came out in 2017, titled The Hatton Garden Job, received very poor reviews, leaving many people thinking that there's still a chance to make this into a successful movie. Even the Morgan Freeman movie Going in Style has many similarities to this infamous heist.
It's hard to deny that, whether you see them as villains, heroes, or just strange, the Grandpa Gang captured the attention of the word.
