anthony gavin baker street robbery

It was a professional and carefully planned operation, but one that raised some nagging questions that have never been satisfactorily answered. "[51], Initially a news blackout was imposed on the radio messages to avoid letting the burglars know their conversations had been overheard by the police, but this was lifted by Monday 13 September. [54] After several weeks of surveillance and investigation police had identified Wolfe, Gavin, Stephens and Tucker as the key individuals to arrest, but they also wanted to speak to three of four other people who they thought were involved. The FBI's January 2020 Artifact of the Month is the chauffeur's cap left at the scene of the crime of the centurythe 1950 robbery of a Brink's bank branch . Title Role Productions. [25] The gang placed a lookout man on a rooftop overlooking the bank, and kept in contact by using walkie-talkies. Word got back to Princess Margaret about the pictures and a gagging order was put in place to stop the snaps ever being printed. In 1970 Anthony Gavin, a 38-year-old photographer from North London, began planning the burglary of the branch of Lloyds Bank at 187 Baker Street, in the Marylebone district of the City of Westminster, London. Details of MEPO 26/418; Reference: MEPO 26/418 Description: Benjamin WOLFE, Thomas Gray STEPHEN, Reginald Samuel TUCKER and Anthony GAVIN: convicted of aggravated burglary arising from the theft of cash and jewellery worth 1,250,000 from Lloyds Bank, 185 Baker Street, Marylebone, London NW1, between 10 and 13 September 1971. Learn how your comment data is processed. The Baker Street Robbery . The heist was then widely reported for a while, the BBC and most of the national press reported on the crime. On the 1971 Baker Street Robbery. What did they do, where did they go after release? The Baker Street Robbery, was an audacious bank robbery which occurred on, or to be more accurate, below Baker Street in the autumn of 1971. X became a minor celebrity in the late 60s by setting up a London branch of the Black Power movement and was briefly feted in the press by such figures as John Lennon and Yoko Ono. Looking for Anthony Gavin online? They didn't succeed. Did the British government even slap a gagging notice on the press to prevent them reporting the real truth behind the robbery? A gang tunnelled 40 feet (12 m) from a rented shop two doors away to come up through the floor of the vault. Thanks for commenting, Wez. I am a software developer and Tony was one of my program installers. No big pay-days from the tabloids to tell their story, no lucrative book deals. One curious piece of circumstantial evidence does exist, however. There's no doubt that the Baker Street heist was brilliantly executed in some respects, but in others ways, it was sloppy and amateurish. I worked with Tony Gavin from 1998 to 2006. The value of the goods that were stolen during the heist is still unknown as the police only managed to retrieve a small sum. The problem is they should never have gotten away with a penny. Allowing every detail of their plan to be broadcasted over the airwaves seems another mistake uncharacteristic of a professional state intelligence operation. Atreides Management is a crossover fund that invests in high-growth technology and consumer companies across public and private markets with a long-term perspective. Anthony Gavin, Thomas Stephens and Reginald Tucker did the tunnelling and the robbery itself. Such was its expense and complexity it seems unlikely to have been hatched by such small time operators without the help from somebody. Empty deposit . Each branch was visited by both bank staff and police. What if the real target of the robbers was not loot but something even more valuable? Without a single alarm sounding, and without the use of any weapons, a team of robbers pulled off the astounding heist and ultimately made off with nearly 3 million (with an estimated 30m today). Anthony Gavin, Thomas Stephens and Reginald Tucker were jailed for their part in the robbery. One small story did appear in The Times in 1973 reporting on the conviction of the three men involved in the raid, but this looks like a curiously scant return for such a sensational crime. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. London True Crime: The Baker Street Robbery. The gang had leased a leather goods shop two doors down from the bank and spent three months studiously digging a tunnel from the basement of the shop, beneath the neighbouring Chicken Inn and into the vault. in London. Robert promptly called the local police station but his claims were treated lightly- no doubt because it was just after 11pm on a Saturday night; a time when drunken pranks were commonplace. [30] Eight hundred pieces of evidence were logged and forensically examined. In September of 1971 a branch of Lloyds Bank in Baker Street, London was robbed. The Baker Street robbery was the burglary of the safe deposit boxes at the Baker Street, London branch of Lloyds Bank, on the night of 11 September 1971. As for the loot, none of it was ever recovered. Reggie is resident barrister, his brother Neil is in the US. Wimpole Street, from where Robert Rowlands intercepted an unusual broadcast. At her hideaway on the Carribean island of Mustique, Margaret would entertain a string of young men, society figures and even those from the criminal fraternity like infamous cockney gangster John Bindon. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express. One of those they were interested in had been living in France and Italy since October 1971; there were no extradition agreements in place to request overseas police arrange for his return to Britain. The safety deposit raid in 1971 is one of the most baffling in British criminal history, and rumours that its true purpose has been covered up by the British establishment persist to this day. Thirty-six years ago, one of the most remarkable and daring bank raids shocked Britain. The Metropolitan Police didn't need the world's greatest detective in the end, and at least some of the culprits were eventually caught. The images were locked up as a result. No weapons were brandished, nor were any alarms triggered. No weapons were brandished, nor were any alarms triggered. The software development came to an end and since 2007, I lost touch with Tony. [6] The tunnel was 40 feet (12m) long when finished,[14] and at the end, under the vault, the gang created a cavity 7 by 4 by 5 feet (2.1 by 1.2 by 1.5m). [45][71] The following year Commander Bert Wickstead, a senior officer at Scotland Yard, was appointed to head an inquiry into the allegations. Considering what we already know about Princess Margaret, it's certainly plausible photographs extreme enough to be used for blackmail or cause a major public scandal may have existed. October 17, 2022. Wolfe had signed the lease on the shop used by the robbers. The Baker Street robbery was the burglary of safety deposit boxes at the Baker Street branch of Lloyds Bank in London, on the night of 11 September 1971. She was notorious for her louche lifestyle and association with several disreputable and criminal figures. A gang tunnelled 40 feet (12 m) from a rented shop two doors away to come up through the floor of the vault. The Queen's younger sister would never become monarch herself and failed to carve any kind of meaningful role for herself in the Royal hierarchy. Investigators are colorfully . Anthony Gavin, 38, a photographer from Brownlow Road in Dalston; Thomas Gray Stephens, 35, a car dealer from Maygood Street in Islington; and Reginald Samuel Tucker, 37, a company director . A member of the local security company alerted the gang of the timing of the digging and when the alarms were off. Another time Bindon performed his famous party trick involving hanging 5 half pint glasses from his penis, much to Margaret's delight. After a while of working with me he did tell me that he had robbed the bank and that he had done time for it. Takings: None; the robbery was unsuccessful. [2] He decided to use a nearby premises and tunnel up into the floor of the bank; the plan was inspired by "The Red-Headed League", an 1891 short story by Arthur Conan Doyle. But like the often very public behaviour of paedophiles such as Lord Boothby and MP Tom Driberg, anything that could damage the establishment was already not reported by mutual agreement. As the frequencies crackled in and out of the set he stumbled across a local broadcast. Subscribe here and be the first to know when I publish a new blog post. The burglary was planned by Anthony Gavin, a career criminal, who was inspired by "The Red-Headed League", a short story by Arthur Conan Doyle in which Sherlock Holmes waits in a bank vault to arrest a gang who have tunnelled in through the floor. One of the men appeared to be inside the unidentified branch whilst the other was perched on the roof acting as a lookout. [30] Lord Hailsham owned one of the boxes in the bank; at the time of the robbery he was Lord Chancellor, the most senior member of the judiciary. [30] It is not known if the gang were still in the vault at the time, although police suspect that they were, but keeping quiet following a warning from the lookout. The British Council, "Closed extracts: Approximately 800 pages". Meghan Markle news: Has Duchess given HUGE clue about baby due date? The world is full of unexplained events, strange mysteries, and mysterious legends. [3][c] A former army physical training instructor with connections to several career criminals, Gavin is described by the journalists Tom Pettifor and Nick Sommerlad as "a forceful personality [who] had the propensity to be physically threatening". The most popular idea is that the gang possibly obtained compromising photographs of Princess Margaret cavorting with infamous London gangster turned actor, John Bindon. Whereas this way we have all got 300 grand to cut up when we come back in the morning. . It was late in the evening on 11 September 1971, and amateur radio enthusiast Robert Rowlands was scanning the airwaves from his Wimpole Street flat. With none of the men themselves talking and Michael X dead, it's clearly hard to verify what McIndoe told the writers. 1971 Baker Street Robbery Anthony Gavin, Thomas Stevens, Reginald Tucker and an unidentified accomplice rented a leather shop called Le Sac, which was two shops over from the Lloyd's Bank located at the corner of Baker St. and Marylebone Rd. Eventually persuaded, they set out on a frantic search of hundreds of London's banks in an attempt to thwart the raid. Harms Caused by Street Robbery. Stephens, Tucker, Wolfe and Gavin were charged with breaking into the bank and stealing the contents of the security boxesvalued at a minimum of 1.5millionand of possessing explosives; the two Gangjis were charged with handling stolen goods. Id love to know the answers to those questions too! . These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Did this explain how well funded the operation was? Menu. Since then, no reports have been found concerning the other culprits or those charged. [67] Another rumour is that one of the safety deposit boxes contained compromising photographs of Princess Margaret and the actor and criminal John Bindon. There was, however, one big problem. The Bank Job claims to be more than just speculation. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. On Monday morning the manager of the Baker Street Lloyds branch opened for business and was horrified by the scene that met him. Was Hatton Garden insured? Was this to cover-up the robbery's true intent, or to cover-up what the thieves say they found in the safety deposit boxes and left out for the police to find? Two other men accused of handling banknotes from the robbery wereacquitted. Despite this, sometime on Sunday morning, police did search the Baker Street branch of Lloyds Bank. Answer (1 of 2): The answer seems to be that it it's in free variation but when you go to Royal Mail and type in a postcode, and it gives you the list of addresses associated with that postcode the flat-numbers are given with capital letters. Your email address will not be published. To avoid being overheard they only dug during weekends. The interior of the vault was mapped out by one gang member using an umbrella and the span of his arms to measure the dimensions and location of the furniture. The robbers had rented the leather goods shop LeSac, two doors north of the bank, and tunnelled a distance of approximately 50 feet (15m) passin. The Baker Street robbery involved four principal players, none of whom had a record or reputation for the higher leagues of crime. [18], Road works nearby meant the trembler alarms in the vault floor were turned off after several false alarms. The Baker Street robbery is the story of an audacious bank robbery which occurred on (or rather below) Baker Street in the autumn of 1971. . The Baker Street Robbery is one of the most notorious and costly bank robberies in Britain's history. Who did the Baker Street robbery? As for Michael X, he fled to Trinidad where he was hanged four years after the raid for murder. Find Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and TikTok profiles, images and more on IDCrawl. Whether this was an honest mistake, incompetence or a deliberate blind eye been turned is now impossible to say. From the beginning, it was clear this was no ordinary heist. [56][46][l] Tucker, Gavin and Stephens were all remanded on bail of 30,000 each on charges relating to the break in. Two brothers have law offices in Baker street. Bereft of a sense of purpose, the young Princess would increasingly lose herself in a life of hedonism and become notorious for her drinking, partying and a succession of lovers. As I've stated before, four men were arrested, but their names or sentences were never released to the media. And if Security have naused it for us, well at least we have got something. A 12-inch-wide (30cm) hole was blasted through the floor and into the vault. 150,000 to 4million in 1971 equates to approximately 2,256,000 to 60,149,000, according to calculations based on the. Road, East Dulwich who, using his own name, had leased the shop to the gang. According to The Bank Job, Michael X kept compromising photographs of Margaret taken on Mustique in his safety deposit box at the Baker Street bank. Stephens, Tucker and Gavin pleaded guilty, Wolfe and the two Gangjis pleaded not guilty. On Saturday the gang co-ordinated the blast of the explosives with the movement of traffic in the area to mask the noise. Cool interesting stuff features everything odd, weird, bizzare, strange or unusual. The story involves murder, corruption and a sex scandal with links to the Royal Family a story in which the thieves were the most innocent people involved. 13 Dec 2018. The fourth man, Benjamin Wolfe,66, a fancy goods dealer fromEast Dulwich, pleadednot guiltybut was subsequently convicted and received eight years. The story, so it goes, begins some 4,200 miles away on the island of Mustique in St Vincent, where the princess hosted the most outrageous parties at the unlikely royal residence. Click a location below to find Anthony more easily. This is the story of an audacious bank robbery which occurred on (or rather below) Baker Street in the autumn of 1971. It was recently reported that one of those who evaded capture was professional crook, Brian Reader who masterminded the more recent- and strikingly similar- Hatton Garden Heist. The Big London Underground Quiz - robslondon.com, Exploring Londons Pubs: Five Pubs, Five Stories. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. . [17][28] The tunnel was cleared of the debris created, and the hole was widened with a hammer and chisel. If they have such a powerful mechanism to cover up their activities, it begs the question as to why the robbery was even needed. Hatton Garden heist: police arrest 7 men in morning raid. The Bank Job, a 2008 heist-thriller directed by Roger Donaldson, explores the real-life Lloyds bank robbery of 1971 which took place on Baker Street in London. MI5 is renowned in the intelligence world for its skill, efficiency, and cunning. The Baker Street robbery was the burglary of safety deposit boxes at the Baker Street branch of Lloyds Bank in London, on the night of 11 September 1971. This time a senior officer regarded the matter far more seriously and, although Robert insisted the signal was very close to Wimpole Street, it was decided that all banks within an eight mile radius- 750 in total- would need to be searched. [70], In 1976 James Humphreys, a Soho-based pornographer and strip club owner, alleged that police officers had stolen 1million worth of gems "as their share" of the burglary. [25] The police later widened their search to include five others. Anthony Pinkney, 40, of Albany, was sentenced to 2 years' incarceration and 2 years post-release supervision, after pleading to felony The gang were using walkie-talkies to communicate, and radio hobbyist Robert Rowlands had accidently tuned into their transmissions. Wheres Anthony Gavin and the others convicted now? You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Desmond Wolfe leased the store used as the tunnel entrance (something that would come back to bite him later on). Being the weekend however, and with the need to contact individual bank managers, this proved to be a very slow process. Little did they realise however that on the other side of the thick, steel door, an audacious gang were busy sifting through over 250 safe deposit boxes. [32] At one stage in the morning a waiter from the Chicken Inn restaurant heard noises from within the bank and peered through the windows of the building to see if anything could be seen. Police always suspected that not only were there others involved but that there must have been a mastermind behind such a daring raid. The robbery was known about for almost two days before news of it was broken on the morning of Monday 13th September. [25] Police found the thermal lance, walkie-talkies and other tools, including an oxyacetylene torch, in the shop. Two Gangjis pleaded not guilty police always suspected that not only were there others but! Will be stored in your browser only with your consent, in the.. 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