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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Man cleared over £53m depot raid | Man cleared over £53m depot raid |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| A man accused of taking part in the £53m raid on a Securitas depot in Kent has been cleared by jurors. | A man accused of taking part in the £53m raid on a Securitas depot in Kent has been cleared by jurors. |
| Michael Demetris, 32, of Bromley, south London, was cleared of conspiracy to rob, kidnap and possess firearms. | Michael Demetris, 32, of Bromley, south London, was cleared of conspiracy to rob, kidnap and possess firearms. |
| Jurors have yet to reach a verdict on Paul Allen, 30, of Chatham, Kent, who faces the same charges as Mr Demetris. | Jurors have yet to reach a verdict on Paul Allen, 30, of Chatham, Kent, who faces the same charges as Mr Demetris. |
| Five people were jailed earlier this year for their parts in the raid in Tonbridge in February 2006 which was Britain's biggest cash robbery. | Five people were jailed earlier this year for their parts in the raid in Tonbridge in February 2006 which was Britain's biggest cash robbery. |
| Robbers 'disguised' | Robbers 'disguised' |
| Depot manager Colin Dixon and his family were kidnapped and members of staff tied up during the raid in February 2006. | Depot manager Colin Dixon and his family were kidnapped and members of staff tied up during the raid in February 2006. |
| Jurors have been told that the robbery was masterminded by Mr Allen's best friend and fellow cage fighter Lee Murray, who is now in Morocco. | Jurors have been told that the robbery was masterminded by Mr Allen's best friend and fellow cage fighter Lee Murray, who is now in Morocco. |
| The court heard father-of-three Mr Allen was allegedly "at the heart" of the plot, but he said he knew nothing about it. | The court heard father-of-three Mr Allen was allegedly "at the heart" of the plot, but he said he knew nothing about it. |
| During the trial, jurors heard claims that Mr Demetris helped produce disguises for the robbery gang. | During the trial, jurors heard claims that Mr Demetris helped produce disguises for the robbery gang. |
| He told the Old Bailey he thought they were for a video game being produced by Mr Murray. | He told the Old Bailey he thought they were for a video game being produced by Mr Murray. |
| 'Criminal conspiracy' | |
| The court heard that Mr Demetris worked on the hair of men who later turned out to be involved in the robbery and allowed make-up artist Michelle Hogg, who worked in his salon, to work at home creating face masks. | |
| When asked by his counsel Joel Bennathan QC whether he felt he was "not being given the full picture" about the work, he said: "Towards the end, yes." | |
| And when asked if he ever thought it was a "criminal conspiracy", he replied: "Absolutely not." | |
| Jurors heard that Mr Demetris had been a hairdresser all his life, starting at the age of 13 when he helped his mother at the salon where she worked. | |
| He later started his own business called Hair Hectik in Forest Hill in south east London. |