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Cage fighter in Moroccan prison 'planned £53m raid'
Paul Cheston, Courts Correspondent7 Oct 2008
The leader of a £53 million robbery is a cage fighter in a Moroccan prison, the Old Bailey heard today.
Lee Murray masterminded Britain's biggest cash robbery, and escaped to North Africa via Amsterdam with his friend Paul Allen, who also fights in the "extreme" sport, the jury heard.
Allen, who was extradited from North Africa, is in the dock with hairdresser Michael Demetris in the second trial over Britain's biggest ever cash robbery.
Five men - Emir Hysenaj, Stuart Royle, Jetmir Bucpapa, Lea Rusha and Roger Coutts - were convicted in January this year for the armed robbery on the Bank of England depository in Tonbridge, Kent in February 2006 of which £20 million has been recovered. But today Sir John Nutting QC, prosecuting, told the jury that Murray, 29, of Sidcup, was "the leading light" of the conspiracy and has applied for Moroccan nationality.
But Sir John added that he was assisted throughout by Allen, 30 of Chatham, who helped to buy the car used in the kidnap of depot manager Colin Dixon and his wife Lynn.
"Allen may well have actually participated in the robbery ... Four days after he fled with Murray to Morocco, Sir John said. Allen, 30 of Chatham, and Demetris, 32 of Bromley, have pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to kidnap, rob and possess firearms between July 2005 and February 2006.
The case continues.
