A seemingly unconnected series of crimes, including the theft of a 14th-century Ming vase from a Swiss museum, a luxury apartment burglary in Sevenoaks, Kent, and a shooting at a comedian's home in East London, have been linked through a six-year investigation by UK police. At the center of the breakthrough was an iPad discovered beneath 2.5 centimeters of sand on the banks of the River Thames.
The device, found in November 2024 by a police officer using a metal detector, had been submerged for over five years. Despite its condition, forensic teams were able to clean the device and extract critical data from the SIM card, providing compelling evidence against three men: Louis Ahearne, Stewart Ahearne, and Daniel Kelly. This evidence played a key role in securing their convictions at the Central Criminal Court of England for the attempted murder of Paul Allen, one of the UK's most notorious armed robbers.
The Ahearne brothers and Kelly first drew police attention on July 11, 2019, when six gunshots shattered the glass conservatory of a luxury property in Woodford, East London. The property, rented by ex-convict Paul Allen, was the target of a meticulously planned hit that left Allen critically injured. One bullet severed his finger, while another pierced his throat and lodged in his spinal cord, leaving him paralyzed from the neck down.
Allen, known for his role in the 2006 Securitas heist — the largest cash robbery in British history, involving the theft of £53 million ($68 million) — had returned to London after serving an 18-year prison sentence. Despite multiple attempts on his life, including a shooting in 2018, Allen continued to attract violent retaliation, culminating in the 2019 Woodford attack.
Evidence presented in court revealed that the Ahearne brothers and Kelly had used rented vehicles, burner phones, and careful surveillance in their attempt to locate and eliminate Allen. One critical mistake, however, proved to be their undoing. Just days before the Woodford shooting, the trio was involved in the high-profile theft of Ming dynasty artifacts from the Museum of Far Eastern Art in Geneva. DNA left at the scene, along with security footage, directly linked the men to the crime.
Further investigation revealed that the Ahearne brothers and Kelly had also carried out a series of burglaries in luxury apartments in Kent, using police-style blue lights to gain access to secured properties. The trail of evidence, including DNA, phone records, and CCTV footage, painted a damning picture of their coordinated efforts.
The true turning point in the case came when the iPad, abandoned on the Thames shoreline, was recovered. Data extracted from the device's SIM card provided a wealth of insights into the gang's communications, movements, and connections, ultimately leading to their conviction.
In late April 2025, the three men were sentenced to a combined total of over 100 years in prison, marking the end of a sprawling investigation that revealed the scope and sophistication of their criminal enterprise.
Reflecting on the case, Detective Superintendent Matt Webb, who led the investigation, remarked, "This attack might sound like the plot of a Hollywood movie, but the reality is far more grim. It was a calculated, cold-blooded act of violence."
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