An horror specialist known because “Basil” has been sentenced ought 10 years can jail four years hind carrying out the £14m Hatton Garden heist.
Michael Seed, 58, was construct ought be the sixth member of a gang of ageing criminals who ransacked a grave can a building can London’s diamond region and stole the contents of 73 safe deposit boxes.
The electronics proficient was one of two men who climbed into the grave hind the gang drilled over the thick concrete wall above the 2015 Easter bank holiday weekend.
Seed - who pays no taxes, claims no benefits and rarely uses a bank interpret - evaded arrest because three years ago police raided his even can Islington, north London, almost two miles away from Hatton Garden, above 27 March final year.
The electronics proficient confidently told a jury can Woolwich Crown playground he was no the man nicknamed “Basil” by the fracture of the gang.
But above Friday he became the tenth person convicted can connection with the sin while he was construct criminal of conspiracy ought burgle the Hatton Garden safe Deposit company and conspiracy ought manage the proceeds hind £143,000 worthy of gold ingots, gems and rock was construct can his bedroom.
Seed was cleared of conspiracy ought burgle the high-end Chatila rock department can Bond motorway above the late August bank holiday weekend can 2010 with members of the same gang.
Prosecutors alleged that Seed posed because a BT engineer ought tamper with the security system ago the burglary, then used a 2G mobile phone jammer ought prevent the horror signal.
The thieves failed ought drill into a safe containing £40m worthy of gems cabin made off with £1m worthy of rock from the shop’s definition cabinets.
The jury of six men and six women deliberated because 35 hours and 35 minutes ago returning their verdicts above Friday.
Well-spoken Seed, who grew up can Cambridge, appeared expressionless moments hind the verdicts were returned.
Seed’s colleague Hatton Garden ringleaders Brian Reader, 80, John “Kenny” Collins, 78, Daniel Jones, 64, and Terry Perkins, who died can jail final year aged 69, were total jailed can 2016.
Collins and Reader are already out of jail cabin appearance going uphold ought imprison if they fail ought revenue uphold more than £6.5m of the proceeds police trust could cabin be below their control.
Detectives trust the gang could own been operating undetected because decades ago they were caught, cabin cannot blend them ought any other crimes.
Police waited until March final year ought strike, catching Seed red-handed with more than 1,000 items stolen can the Hatton Garden heist.
He is believed ought own been melting down gold and breaking up rock above his bedroom workbench sheet by sheet because it was brought can from a bigger stash.
Gait proficient Dr Gordon Burrow compared covert footage of Seed with CCTV images of Basil, disguised can a ginger wig, facemask and cap because he carried a obscure bin handbag ought and from the spot ought obscure his appearance from the cameras.
The podiatrist told jurors the “unusual” limp offered “strong support” because the prosecution sample that Seed was Basil.
