BBC News reporters Thomas Mackintosh and Jeremy Britton covered the trial at the Old Bailey where three men from south-east London were found guilty of a conspiracy to murder a cage fighter. Paul Allen, who was left paralyzed after being shot in the neck at his home in Woodford Green, East London, on July 11, 2019, was the target of the assassination plot. Allen, described as a “sophisticated” career criminal, was the victim of the meticulously planned attack.
The convicted individuals, Daniel Kelly and brothers Louis and Stewart Ahearne, were also involved in a burglary at the Museum of Far Eastern Art in Geneva a month before the shooting. This incident provided the background for the subsequent attempt on Allen’s life. The trio of criminals seized Chinese Ming Dynasty artifacts valued at £2.8 million from the museum before attempting to sell them in Hong Kong, highlighting their proficiency in criminal activities.
The court was presented with evidence of the defendants’ criminal past, including a previous armed robbery for which Allen was convicted in 2009 – Britain’s biggest heist at the time. Jurors learned that the Ahearne brothers and Kelly meticulously planned the murder attempt, with Stewart Ahearne renting a car, Louis Ahearne conducting reconnaissance, and all three using unregistered phones to communicate. These details underscored the seriousness and premeditation of the conspiracy.
Following extradition to Switzerland and subsequent sentencing for the museum burglary, the Ahearne brothers faced additional charges in the UK related to the attempted murder of Allen. The evidence presented in court, including DNA on a fence panel and a gun sight found at Kelly’s residence, demonstrated their complicity in the attack. Louis Ahearne’s defense claiming involvement in the burglary to pay off a debt was overshadowed by the overwhelming proof of their involvement in the murder conspiracy
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