Three men have been sentenced to decades behind bars for a cold-blooded plot to murder a former cage fighter involved in Britain’s largest cash robbery.
Louis Ahearne, 36, Stewart Ahearne, 46, and Daniel Kelly, 46, were jailed at the Old Bailey today for a combined 99 years after conspiring to kill Paul Allen, a convicted member of the gang responsible for the 2006 Securitas depot heist, where £54 million was stolen — most of it never recovered.
Allen, now 46, was shot at his home in Woodford, East London, in July 2019, leaving him paralysed from the chest down. He had been living a quiet life with his partner and children after serving an 18-year prison sentence for the heist.
The court heard how the Ahearne brothers and Kelly orchestrated a calculated attack, travelling in a hired car from southeast London. Stewart waited in the getaway vehicle while Louis and Kelly crept into Allen’s garden. Just after 11:00pm, six bullets were fired through Allen’s kitchen door and windows — one striking him as he stood inside.
“Hollywood Blockbuster” Crime
Detective Superintendent Matt Webb described the brazen attack as resembling “a Hollywood blockbuster” but stressed it was the work of “hardened organised criminals.
Key evidence included a rusty iPad recovered from the River Thames, which had been planted in Allen’s car to secretly track his movements. Investigators said the suspects knew “exactly when and where” to strike.
Further inquiries revealed that just a day before the shooting, Kelly and Louis had impersonated police officers to burglarize a gated home in Kent. Only a month earlier, the trio had stolen nearly £2.8 million worth of Ming dynasty antiques from a museum in Geneva. After being convicted in Switzerland, they were extradited to Britain to face trial for the murder plot.
Sentencing
At today’s hearing, Judge Sarah Whitehouse KC told the men:
“The agreement to murder Paul Allen involved others, and you were motivated by a promise of financial gain.
The harm caused was devastating. Short of killing him, it could hardly be more serious.”
Louis Ahearne was sentenced to 33 years, Stewart Ahearne to 30 years, and Daniel Kelly received 36 years.
Community Reaction
The shooting sent shockwaves through the Woodford community, as Allen — despite his past — had been rebuilding his life. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan called the attack “a stark reminder of the brutal world of organised crime that continues to inflict misery on our streets.
The Metropolitan Police urged anyone with information about other potential conspirators in the plot to come forward.
Ongoing Impact
Allen’s life has been irrevocably changed. The once-feared cage fighter now requires round-the-clock care, relying on others for all his needs.
The Securitas heist, which this case stems from, remains one of the most infamous robberies in British history — and now, nearly two decades later, its violent legacy continues to unfold.
