In a story that resembles a gripping thriller, an iPad discarded in London’s River Thames lay submerged for over five years before it was recovered and became pivotal evidence in convicting three individuals for attempted murder. This was particularly remarkable as the victim of the shooting was a significant figure involved in one of history’s largest armed robberies.
A Notorious Armed Robbery
In 2006, Paul Allen was one of eight accomplices found guilty for participating in the robbery of a cash depot. This facility acted as the Bank of England’s distribution center for new banknotes and as a storage site for currency marked for destruction.
The gang stole £53 million ($68 million), but their intake could have been larger if they had brought a more substantial vehicle, as they were compelled to leave behind an additional £154 million ($199 million) that couldn’t fit into their truck.
Allen received an 18-year prison sentence but was released in 2016 after serving less than half of that time.
A Museum Heist Leads to Violence
Three years later, Allen was shot at his residence; six bullets pierced his kitchen window, with one striking his throat and lodging in his spinal cord, nearly claiming his life. As a result, he was left paralyzed from the chest down.
Eventually, three notorious criminals were apprehended in connection with an unrelated string of robberies, including one targeting a museum, as reported by BBC News.
Within mere seconds of breaking into the museum, the robbers smashed glass cases containing antiques from the 14th Century Ming Dynasty. They seized three items – a rare pomegranate vase, a doucai-style wine cup, and a porcelain bowl – worth a total insured value of £2.8 million.
In a foolish move, they attempted to sell one of these antiquities at a public auction. The auction house alerted the authorities, leading to an undercover operation that captured the thieves. DNA evidence subsequently linked them to Allen’s shooting five years prior, and a statement from one of the defendants indicated that their getaway vehicle made a brief stop near the River Thames.
The Unforeseen Discovery of the iPad
As police searched this area of the river anticipating to find the gun used in the attack, they instead uncovered an iPad.
Discovered by an officer with a metal detector on a chilly November morning last year, the iPad was encrusted with mud after spending over five years submerged.
Forensics managed to clean it and accessed the SIM tray, which still housed a pink Vodafone SIM card.
The recovered call data yielded incriminating evidence against three suspects – Louis Ahearne, Stewart Ahearne, and Daniel Kelly – all of whom were implicated in a museum heist in Switzerland just a month earlier.
The SIM card was also associated with a GPS tracker that the criminals had affixed to Allen’s vehicle to surveil him before the attack. Authorities believe the shooting was an attempted murder due to the outstanding debts the gang owed to Allen.
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Image: DMN collage of images from Met Police and Cristian Palmer on Unsplash
