Three men are accused of plotting a murder after stealing £3m worth of Ming dynasty antiques from a Swiss museum.
Paul Allen got shot in the neck at his home in east London. He sustained paralysis because of the shooting. Earlier, he was in jail, having been involved in a huge cash robbery.
Louis Ahearne, Stewart Ahearne, and Daniel Kelly are charged with plotting Allen’s murder. The Old Bailey court heard facts about their past, including a museum burglary.
The burglary occurred in Geneva at the Museum of Far Eastern Arts in June 2019, before the shooting. Three Ming dynasty porcelain items, insured for millions, were stolen: a bottle, cup, and bowl.
Kelly and Louis Ahearne flew to Geneva the day before the museum break-in. Louis scouted the museum and even filmed the Ming room. Stewart Ahearne joined them the next day.
They rented a car at the airport and bought tools and some clothes. The men then broke into the museum at night, wearing masks and gloves. They used tools to break in.
Police found Stewart Ahearne’s DNA at the scene. The men broke into a display case and grabbed the Ming dynasty antiques. They later tried to get rid of them reportedly.
The men flew to Hong Kong, where they tried selling the phoenix bowl. Stewart Ahearne got arrested later in London while selling the Ming vase to an officer. Police found his passport and a book on Ming antiques.
The day before Allen’s shooting, another burglary happened. Stewart rented a Renault Captur, and two defendants used it for a Kent burglary. Allen was a “sophisticated” career criminal, the court heard.
Allen was involved in a big cash robbery at Securitas in Kent. About £54 million was stolen during the raid, and much of that money remains missing. He lived with his family after prison.
The accused traveled from south London to Allen’s house in north-east London. They allegedly plotted his murder there. The Ahearnes and Kelly deny the murder plot, and the trial is still in progress.