Millennium Dome Raid - Aftermath

Aftermath

William Cockram who was sentenced to 18 years for his part in the raid, was awarded legal aid to sue the Metropolitan Police Service in March 2003. The decision to award Cockram the money was condemned by the then shadow home secretary David Davis. William Cockram claimed that he was assaulted by a police officer at about 9.39am on the day of the raid as he was lying handcuffed on the floor.

One of the diamonds on display during the raid was a pear-shaped rare blue diamond, In March 2010 the London Evening Standard reported that the gem would be sold in a collection at Sotheby's Hong Kong the following month. The blue diamond which had an estimated worth of £3 to £3.8 million was sold for £4.2 million in April 2010 in Sotheby's Hong Kong.

The Flying Squad arrested a man they believed was the mastermind behind the plot, this man however was not present on the day of the raid. The man Londoner James Hurley was arrested following an undercover operation led by The Mail on Sunday. The undercover operation tracked Hurley to Puerto Banus in the Costa del Sol. The officer in charge of Operation Magician, Detective Chief Superintendent Jon Shatford arrived in Spain with a team of three others and an emergency warrant for the arrest of Hurley. James Hurley had been under surveillance by the police when he was spotted refining and testing the robbery plan for weeks in advance. He was dubbed the "boatman" by the police as he was seen taking photographs of the Dome from vessels on the Thames and organising the speedboat which was to be used for the getaway. James Hurley disappeared at the last minute before the raid took place. After his disappearance the National Criminal Intelligence Service and the Spanish police were unable to locate him. Hurley was found by the Mail on Sunday operation, living in a luxury villa on a private enclave close to Puerto Banus. Once Hurley had been photographed and his identity confirmed, a High Court judge in London issued a red extradition warrant for his arrest.

The JCB digger that was used in the raid was put up for auction, although it still displayed damage from the raid. The digger was sold at JCB's biannual auction of surplus parts and machines. The JCB company took possession of the machine from insurers after a court hearing.

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