Hatton Garden ringleaders including Dartford's Brian Reader 'thrived on crime, greed and taking other people's money'

Prosecutor Philip Evans QC started giving his closing speech at Woolwich Crown Court today (January 7), in the trial of four men accused of helping Dartford’s Brian Reader, 76, John "Kenny" Collins, 75, Daniel Jones, 60, and Terry Perkins, 67, steal millions of pounds in jewellery from underground vaults on Easter weekend.

He told the jury: "Just take a step back because it has become a bit like Groundhog Day - losing a little bit of sight of what this is actually about.

"What we are talking about is £10 million worth of jewellery - £14million worth of jewellery. That is a staggering sum of money.

"I imagine many of us would be extremely excited if we were to win the lottery to the tune of £14million.

"The property belonged to people who have no doubt worked hard to run their businesses, to get that property together and keep their businesses going."

Four men are currently on trial at Woolwich.

They are  Carl Wood, 58, William Lincoln, 60, and Jon Harbinson, 42, who are all charged with conspiracy to commit burglary.

Hugh Doyle, 48, is jointly charged with one count of conspiracy to conceal, convert or transfer criminal property between January 1 and May 19 last year.

All four deny the charges against them.

Today Mr Evans asked the jury of six men and six women to consider whether the men who have pleaded guilty, the ringleaders, would have trusted those on trial to look after their jewel-laden bags and not take a "peek" inside.

"'Some bags of old shit' - that is how Mr Lincoln describes those bags, as he thought they were. Do you believe that for one second?"

Mr Evans said the raid had been carefully planned and it was clear that those involved knew what they were doing and where to find the safe deposit boxes, alarms and CCTV cameras.

He told the jury: "On each of the four occasions that you have heard the defendants give evidence, each of them have told you lies. Some of them might have been half-truths.

"But in the end, the evidence which you have heard is not true."

Mr Evans said the men in the dock had been able to come up with a story which they would all stick to whilst serving time at HMP Woolwich.

He added: "The men who have pleaded guilty were a group who thrived on acquisitive crime - taking people's money and possessions, greed in reality.

“What they needed were people who wouldn't question that."

TODAY'S TOP STORIES:

The court heard that Wood was chosen because of his connection with Jones, with whom he would go on regular walks and who he knew was a "crook".

Earlier this week, Doyle admitted to regularly drinking with Reader, Perkins and Collins in a pub near Hatton Garden, Mr Evans added.

The prosecutor will conclude his closing speech tomorrow (January 8) after which Nick Corsellis, defending Wood, is expected to deliver his.

The trial continues.