Hatton Garden 'Master' Quit After Failed Attempt

One of the leaders of a gang accused of stealing £14m of goods in Hatton Garden pulled out after they failed to complete the raid in one night, a court has heard.

Brian Reader, 76, withdrew from the conspiracy when the group struggled to get into the vault on the night of 2 April.

Dubbed the "Master" by his co-conspirators, the pensioner had been instrumental in planning the burglary which saw precious stones and bullion looted from safety deposit boxes in London's jewellery quarter.

Reader, along with three other "ringleaders" - John "Kenny" Collins, 75, Daniel Jones, 58, and Terry Perkins, 67 - has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary at Hatton Garden Safe Deposit.

Carl Wood, 58, of Elderbeck Close, Cheshunt, Hertfordshire; William Lincoln, 60, of Winkley Street, Bethnal Green, east London; and Jon Harbinson, 42, of Beresford Gardens, Benfleet, Essex deny the offence.

A fourth man, Hugh Doyle, 48, of Riverside Gardens, Enfield, north London, is jointly charged with them on one count of conspiracy to conceal, convert or transfer criminal property between 1 January and 19 May this year.

He also faces an alternative charge of concealing, converting or transferring criminal property between 1 April and 19 May this year.

One of the alleged thieves, a red-haired man known only as Basil, remains at large.

Jurors at Woolwich Crown Court in southeast London have heard how the gang initially broke into the vault on 2 April, but needed to return with different equipment on 4 April.

While they managed to drill through the wall, the thieves were stopped in their tracks by the metal cabinet on the other side that was bolted to the floor.

Although with the group on the first night, Reader did not return on the second.

On April 3, Jones and Collins made a trip to Twickenham in southwest London, in order to buy what they needed to complete the burglary.

They went to two shops - Machine Mart and D&M Tools - and Machine Mart had records of selling a "Clarke" pump and hose to "V Jones", who gave his own address.

Jurors heard the parts of the pump were similar to those of another that was found - and possibly damaged on the first night - at the scene after the burglary.

After a series of phonecalls were exchanged between the men, Collins drove Jones, and allegedly Wood, to Hatton Garden at around 9.20pm.

Prosecutor Philip Evans said: "Brian Reader, on this occasion was nowhere to be seen and it appears that he had decided he no longer wanted any part in the activities at Hatton Garden."

And more details about the items stolen also emerged in court, including a £55,000 necklace and Breitling, Omega, TAG Heuer and Rolex watches.

Sapphires, diamonds and whole display cases of rings were also taken.

Collins of Bletsoe Walk, Islington; Jones of Park Avenue, Enfield; Perkins of Heene Road, Enfield and Reader of Dartford Road, Dartford, are due to be sentenced at a later date.