Three men aged 60, 58, and 48 have been found guilty in an April robbery deemed the biggest burglary in British legal history, where more possessions worth more than £14 million ($20 million) were taken.
The oldest man involved in what is being referred to as the “grandpa gang” is named Brian Reader, who is 76 years old. Reader and other members of the group ages 60, 65, and 75, were previously found guilty for the crime and charged with conspiracy to commit burglary, Reuters reports.
Reader, who is said to be the gang’s leader, was a cohort of Kenneth Noye (now serving a life sentence) and was once accused of murdering a police officer.
Reader is said to have reached the robbery location by public bus on which he used his senior citizen card for a free ride, according to Reuters.
The “grandpa gang” used powerful drills and tools to destroy the concrete walls and then returned the following day to break into the elevator shaft and deactivate the alarm, which allowed them to enter the basement, BBC reports.
Once the group had access to the Hatton Garden safety deposit boxes they pillaged jewelry, gold, and money, however authorities have only recovered 1/3 of the loot. Also recovered from the group was a “Forensics for Dummies” book that the criminals allegedly used as guidance for the robbery.