The Curse of Brink's-Mat: Twenty-five Years of Murder and Mayhem - The Inside Story of the 20th Century's Most Lucrative Armed Robbery

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McAvoy married Kathleen when he was in prison and went on to live in Spain. He died aged earlier this year aged 71. Only two of the original armed robbers were jailed, but at least 33 people were arrested and 14 convicted in connection with the raid. Despite police efforts, much of the mystery surrounding the robbery remains. Some believe Palmer was targeted because he’d been about to turn police grass to get himself off the hook in a new fraud investigation. Another possibility is that he was killed because of an alleged connection to the Hatton Garden job, which had been carried out by his old Brink’s-Mat compatriot Brian Reader just months before Palmer’s killing. Or perhaps the Russian mob was involved? READ MORE: How real life detective in BBC's The Gold helped family of Stephen Lawrence What happened to Brian Robinson?

One of the most intriguing aspects about the Brink’s-Mat robbery is the robbers’ identity. Although six men were eventually arrested and convicted, it is widely believed that they were only a small part of a larger criminal network. The heist – and its aftermath: smelting, laundering, and murder – are the subject of the BBC’s new six-part drama, The Gold, which is available now on iPlayer. But what’s the solid gold truth? And what’s 24-carat fiction? Did the robbers have an inside man? Noye was acquitted of DC Fordham’s murder on the grounds of self defence, but was found guilty of handling some of the stolen gold in July 1986 and jailed for 14 years (and yes, he did shout ‘I hope you all die of cancer’ to the jury as he was taken away, as shown in the TV series).

Immediate aftermath

Kenneth Noye, who attempted to cultivate friends among police officers who were Masons to try to protect himself from prosecution, repeatedly failed to pay his lodge’s subscriptions.

Active as a fence, Noye was among those involved in laundering a huge quantity of stolen gold bullion taken during the Brink's-Mat robbery by six armed men on 26 November 1983. [1] While he was being investigated for his involvement in the crime, Noye fatally stabbed Detective Constable John Fordham who was involved in the police surveillance of Noye in the grounds of his home. Acquitted of murder on the grounds of self-defence in December 1985, [7] he was found guilty in July 1986 [8] of conspiracy to handle some of the stolen gold, [9] and of a conspiracy to evade VAT. [1] After his conviction in court, he shouted to the jury "I hope you all die of cancer". [10] Decabral had testified at the trial of Noye at the Old Bailey that he saw the fight between Noye and Cameron on the motorway slip road, and told the jury that he saw Noye "lunging forward" with a knife and stabbing Cameron, testimony that helped convict him. [44] The defence had attempted to discredit Decabral, saying he was an unreliable witness who created an "edifice of lies" in agreement with police. [44]Kenneth Noye: road rage killer moved to 'holiday camp' jail". Daily Telegraph. 9 September 2011 . Retrieved 13 February 2015. Police investigated whether Decabral was killed as part of a fight between rival biker gangs over drugs. [44] Witnesses to the murder in the retail park said they heard Decabral beg for his life before a young man in a woolly hat shot him. [44] Prison sentence and later legal proceedings [ edit ] That’s half true,” says Wensley Clarkson, author of several books on the case. “It works for dramatic purposes. But it was always suggested to me that they were happy for this fallacy to be portrayed – that they didn’t know about the gold when really they did. You can read into that what you want.” But in 1990 the Director of Public Prosecutions announced that there was no evidence to support any charge against him regarding corruption allegations, and he did not face any subsequent disciplinary action. a b Tony Thompson "Curse of the Brinks-Mat heist claims its latest victim", The Observer, 25 November 2001

Gilbert Wytner, a jeweller and associate of Nahome, disappeared on March 9, 1998 and has never been found, as reported by the Tottenham Independent.McAvoy had entrusted part of his share to Brian Perry and George Francis. Perry in turn recruited Kenneth Noye to dispose of the gold. George Francis, who was suspected of handling the stolen gold bullion, was shot dead outside his Bermondsey courier business in May 2003. His killer was John O’Flynn, a former associate of the Kray twins, also believed to be involved in laundering the Brink’s-Mat gold. It’s also true that Boyce sent his men unarmed – he didn’t consider Noye to be dangerous. And, as depicted on screen, Noye’s rottweilers alerted him to the police. Dashing outside, Noye stabbed Fordham 11 times (10 in the show) and claimed he had acted in self-defence.