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4 plead guilty in London's Hatton Garden jewel heist

By Laura Smith-Spark, David Wilkinson and Alexander Felton, CNN

Updated 1340 GMT (2140 HKT) September 4, 2015

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The heist in April targeted the Hatton Garden Safe Deposit Ltd., which has been <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/08/europe/london-hatton-garden-heist/" target="_blank">"the epicenter of London's jewelry trade since medieval times."</a> Police believe it took days. This hole through a vault wall is about 10 inches high and 18 inches wide. The wall is composed of 20 inches of reinforced concrete, so the drilling alone likely took a while.
Photos: The Hatton Garden heist
The heist in April targeted the Hatton Garden Safe Deposit Ltd., which has been "the epicenter of London's jewelry trade since medieval times." Police believe it took days. This hole through a vault wall is about 10 inches high and 18 inches wide. The wall is composed of 20 inches of reinforced concrete, so the drilling alone likely took a while.
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There was <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/09/europe/london-hatton-garden-heist/" target="_blank">no sign of forced entry on the outside of the building</a>, which houses numerous businesses. It appears the thieves disabled an elevator on the second floor of the building, then climbed down the elevator shaft into the basement where the vault is located, said Detective Chief Inspector Paul Johnson of the London Metropolitan Police's Flying Squad. The squad, which Brits often refer to as "The Sweeney," is the Met's branch dedicated to heists and armed robberies. "Sweeney Todd" is Cockney rhyming slang for Flying Squad. Get it? No? It's OK. Few non-Cockneys do.
Photos: The Hatton Garden heist
There was no sign of forced entry on the outside of the building, which houses numerous businesses. It appears the thieves disabled an elevator on the second floor of the building, then climbed down the elevator shaft into the basement where the vault is located, said Detective Chief Inspector Paul Johnson of the London Metropolitan Police's Flying Squad. The squad, which Brits often refer to as "The Sweeney," is the Met's branch dedicated to heists and armed robberies. "Sweeney Todd" is Cockney rhyming slang for Flying Squad. Get it? No? It's OK. Few non-Cockneys do.
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Here's the hallway leading to the vault. By now you're thinking, "Doesn't this joint have alarms?" Yes, it does. In fact, an alarm was activated, recorded and transferred to a computer-aided dispatch system used by police. However, the alarm had a "grade" that meant <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/10/europe/london-hatton-garden-heist/" target="_blank">no police response was required</a>, according to investigators. Even though police say it's too early to determine whether applying the correct grade would have stopped the heist, you have to think someone has some explaining to do here.
Photos: The Hatton Garden heist
Here's the hallway leading to the vault. By now you're thinking, "Doesn't this joint have alarms?" Yes, it does. In fact, an alarm was activated, recorded and transferred to a computer-aided dispatch system used by police. However, the alarm had a "grade" that meant no police response was required, according to investigators. Even though police say it's too early to determine whether applying the correct grade would have stopped the heist, you have to think someone has some explaining to do here.
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The thieves cut through the bars of a security door. Police say this must have taken some time. How long is unclear, though, as the Met said in a statement that the thieves accessed the vault between 9:20 p.m. on April 2 and 8:05 a.m. on April 3 and between 10:17 p.m. on April 4 and 6:30 a.m. on April 5. For the math-challenged, that first window is almost 11 hours; the second, more than eight.
Photos: The Hatton Garden heist
The thieves cut through the bars of a security door. Police say this must have taken some time. How long is unclear, though, as the Met said in a statement that the thieves accessed the vault between 9:20 p.m. on April 2 and 8:05 a.m. on April 3 and between 10:17 p.m. on April 4 and 6:30 a.m. on April 5. For the math-challenged, that first window is almost 11 hours; the second, more than eight.
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The vault is protected by a pretty intimidating door, which is probably why the thieves opted to bore through a concrete wall instead. Though little information is known (or being released) about the suspected robbers, <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3034400/Caught-camera-Dramatic-pictures-Hatton-jewellery-heist-gang-middle-audacious-60million-gem-raid.html" target="_blank">London's Daily Mail has already given them nicknames</a> such as Mr. Ginger and Mr. Montana. Very "Reservoir Dogs" of them. The paper further reports that the thieves were dressed like utility workers, their faces were covered and they carried large bags with tools, though CNN hasn't been able to confirm those details.
Photos: The Hatton Garden heist
The vault is protected by a pretty intimidating door, which is probably why the thieves opted to bore through a concrete wall instead. Though little information is known (or being released) about the suspected robbers, London's Daily Mail has already given them nicknames such as Mr. Ginger and Mr. Montana. Very "Reservoir Dogs" of them. The paper further reports that the thieves were dressed like utility workers, their faces were covered and they carried large bags with tools, though CNN hasn't been able to confirm those details.
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Here is a photo of what bank robbers call "pay dirt." Obviously, the police didn't release the deposit box owners' names, but given the company's location, it's safe for police to say many of the boxes' owners were in the jewelry trade.
Photos: The Hatton Garden heist
Here is a photo of what bank robbers call "pay dirt." Obviously, the police didn't release the deposit box owners' names, but given the company's location, it's safe for police to say many of the boxes' owners were in the jewelry trade.
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So, a little more about that hole. It was drilled with a Hilti DD350, which the company <a href="https://www.us.hilti.com/diamond-coring-%26-sawing/diamond-drilling-tools/r3767" target="_blank">says is a "diamond coring tool."</a> As you might imagine, they're not cheap. Depending on whether you need a "rig," they run between $6,400 and $8,700. Actually, maybe that is cheap when you're using it to access safety-deposit boxes that could be filled with jewels and cash. One of the uses listed for the drill is "manhole openings," but it's certain drilling holes for men to access bank vaults wasn't what Hilti had in mind.
Photos: The Hatton Garden heist
So, a little more about that hole. It was drilled with a Hilti DD350, which the company says is a "diamond coring tool." As you might imagine, they're not cheap. Depending on whether you need a "rig," they run between $6,400 and $8,700. Actually, maybe that is cheap when you're using it to access safety-deposit boxes that could be filled with jewels and cash. One of the uses listed for the drill is "manhole openings," but it's certain drilling holes for men to access bank vaults wasn't what Hilti had in mind.
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Story highlights

  • Three defendants deny conspiracy to commit burglary and will face trial in November
  • Four -- John Collins, Daniel Jones, Terence Perkins and Brian Reader -- plead guilty
  • Gems, cash were stolen from a safe deposit firm in London's Hatton Garden area in April

London (CNN)Four men pleaded guilty Friday, admitting their role in a spectacular heist in the heart of London's jewelry district.

Quantities of gems and cash were stolen from a safe deposit company in Hatton Garden over the four-day Easter holiday.
    John Collins, 74, Daniel Jones, 58, Terence Perkins, 67, and Brian Reader, 76, each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary during a hearing Friday at Woolwich Crown Court.
    Three more defendants -- Hugh Doyle, William Lincoln and Jon Harbinson -- denied conspiracy to commit burglary and will face trial starting November 16.
    They also face a charge of conspiracy to convert or transfer criminal property between April 1 and May 19.
    Read More
    Prosecutors decided not to pursue that charge against the four defendants who entered guilty pleas Friday.
    Police haven't given a precise value for what was taken from the vault of Hatton Garden Safe Deposit Ltd. Estimates reported by British media at the time ranged from hundreds of thousands of pounds to £200 million, or $300 million.
    9 notorious multimillion-dollar heists
    Photos: 9 notorious multimillion-dollar heists
    Thieves plundered millions in valuables over Easter holiday from the vault of a safety deposit company in Hatton Garden, London's exclusive jewelry district. Stolen cash and jewelry could be worth almost $300 million (£200m), <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-32215206" target="_blank">a former Scotland Yard commander told the BBC</a>, though numerous British news organizations put the loss vastly lower, in the hundreds of thousands of pounds.
    Photos: 9 notorious multimillion-dollar heists
    Thieves plundered millions in valuables over Easter holiday from the vault of a safety deposit company in Hatton Garden, London's exclusive jewelry district. Stolen cash and jewelry could be worth almost $300 million (£200m), a former Scotland Yard commander told the BBC, though numerous British news organizations put the loss vastly lower, in the hundreds of thousands of pounds.
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    In July 2013, an armed robber <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/29/world/europe/cannes-jewelry-theft/index.html">held up a jewelry exhibition at the Carlton Hotel</a> in the French resort city of Cannes, stealing jewels worth an estimated 102 million euros ($136 million).
    Photos: 9 notorious multimillion-dollar heists
    In July 2013, an armed robber held up a jewelry exhibition at the Carlton Hotel in the French resort city of Cannes, stealing jewels worth an estimated 102 million euros ($136 million).
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    In 1978 gangster Jimmy "The Gent" Burke stole $8 million in cash and jewels from John F. Kennedy International Airport. It was considered the largest robbery in U.S. history at the time. Burke died in 1996 while serving 20 years to life in a New York prison when he fell ill with cancer. In January 2014, five alleged mobsters were arrested on racketeering charges related to the 1978 heist.
    Photos: 9 notorious multimillion-dollar heists
    In 1978 gangster Jimmy "The Gent" Burke stole $8 million in cash and jewels from John F. Kennedy International Airport. It was considered the largest robbery in U.S. history at the time. Burke died in 1996 while serving 20 years to life in a New York prison when he fell ill with cancer. In January 2014, five alleged mobsters were arrested on racketeering charges related to the 1978 heist.
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    In 1990, robbers posing as Boston police officers entered the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum's security door, then handcuffed the guards on duty to pipes in the basement. The 13 pieces of stolen artwork, including works by Rembrandt and Vermeer, were valued at $500 million, and are yet to be recovered, despite a $5 million reward offered by the museum for their recovery. Earlier this month, the museum offered $100,000 for the return of one stolen item: a 10-inch-tall gilded bronze eagle -- a finial dating from the Napoleonic era.
    Photos: 9 notorious multimillion-dollar heists
    In 1990, robbers posing as Boston police officers entered the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum's security door, then handcuffed the guards on duty to pipes in the basement. The 13 pieces of stolen artwork, including works by Rembrandt and Vermeer, were valued at $500 million, and are yet to be recovered, despite a $5 million reward offered by the museum for their recovery. Earlier this month, the museum offered $100,000 for the return of one stolen item: a 10-inch-tall gilded bronze eagle -- a finial dating from the Napoleonic era.
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    A gang of robbers posing as a landscape company dug a tunnel underneath Banco Central in Fortaleza, Brazil. On a Saturday in August 2005, they broke through concrete and steel into a vault and stole $69.8 million (165 million Brazilian reais). A few involved have been caught, but it remains an open case.
    Photos: 9 notorious multimillion-dollar heists
    A gang of robbers posing as a landscape company dug a tunnel underneath Banco Central in Fortaleza, Brazil. On a Saturday in August 2005, they broke through concrete and steel into a vault and stole $69.8 million (165 million Brazilian reais). A few involved have been caught, but it remains an open case.
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    Cybercriminals from New York <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2013/05/09/technology/security/cyber-bank-heist/index.html">stole $45 million from banks</a> globally by breaking into the banks' systems to drastically increase the amount available on the cards, and then used the information about the cards to withdraw money at banks around the world. Seven were charged and the group leader, Alberto Yusi Lajud-Peña, was killed in April 2013. The photo shows suspects Elvis Rafael Rodriguez (left) and Emir Yasser Yeje, pose with bundles of cash.
    Photos: 9 notorious multimillion-dollar heists
    Cybercriminals from New York stole $45 million from banks globally by breaking into the banks' systems to drastically increase the amount available on the cards, and then used the information about the cards to withdraw money at banks around the world. Seven were charged and the group leader, Alberto Yusi Lajud-Peña, was killed in April 2013. The photo shows suspects Elvis Rafael Rodriguez (left) and Emir Yasser Yeje, pose with bundles of cash.
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    Wearing suits and in professional disguise makeup, two men stole 43 items worth $65 million in the middle of the day from Graff Jewelry Store in London in 2009. They threatened employees with handguns while collecting the merchandise, then drove off in a BMW. The two men were later arrested and jailed. Among the stolen items was this platinum diamond pendant hat.
    Photos: 9 notorious multimillion-dollar heists
    Wearing suits and in professional disguise makeup, two men stole 43 items worth $65 million in the middle of the day from Graff Jewelry Store in London in 2009. They threatened employees with handguns while collecting the merchandise, then drove off in a BMW. The two men were later arrested and jailed. Among the stolen items was this platinum diamond pendant hat.
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    Just hours before the United States began bombing Iraq in 2003, Saddam Hussein's family took $1 billion from the country's central bank. People who lived near the Central Bank at the time told CNN that they saw three or four trucks backed up to the bank, and that people appeared to be load money onto them. Since he was acting as an absolute ruler at the time, it may have seemed to him more like a withdrawal than a robbery.
    Photos: 9 notorious multimillion-dollar heists
    Just hours before the United States began bombing Iraq in 2003, Saddam Hussein's family took $1 billion from the country's central bank. People who lived near the Central Bank at the time told CNN that they saw three or four trucks backed up to the bank, and that people appeared to be load money onto them. Since he was acting as an absolute ruler at the time, it may have seemed to him more like a withdrawal than a robbery.
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    In 1983, six thieves broke into the Brink's-MAT warehouse at Heathrow Airport in London, thinking they would grab a few million in cash. However, they found gold ingots, diamonds and cash worth a total of 28 million pounds (about $50 million at the time). The thieves tied up three guards, doused them in gasoline and said they would light the guards on fire if they didn't give the pass codes to the vault. Just three of 15 men involved in planning and executing the robbery were ever convicted.
    Photos: 9 notorious multimillion-dollar heists
    In 1983, six thieves broke into the Brink's-MAT warehouse at Heathrow Airport in London, thinking they would grab a few million in cash. However, they found gold ingots, diamonds and cash worth a total of 28 million pounds (about $50 million at the time). The thieves tied up three guards, doused them in gasoline and said they would light the guards on fire if they didn't give the pass codes to the vault. Just three of 15 men involved in planning and executing the robbery were ever convicted.
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    Investigators said the thieves appeared to have gained access to the basement vault through an elevator shaft, using a drill to bore through a 6-foot wall to reach the safe deposit boxes.
      Following the raid, the Metropolitan Police Service said it was examining why the force did not respond despite being made aware a burglar alarm had gone off at the premises on April 3.
      How a heist is masterminded