Three men have been convicted of plotting to kill former cage fighter Paul Allen, who was previously jailed for his role in Britain’s largest ever cash robbery — the £54 million Securitas heist in Kent.

Louis Ahearne, 36, and his brother Stewart Ahearne, 46, both from Greenwich, along with Daniel Kelly, 46, of no fixed address, were found guilty at Woolwich Crown Court of attempting to murder Allen, who was left paralysed for life after being shot in 2019.

Murder Plot Uncovered

The court heard how the trio orchestrated a targeted shooting, installing a tracker on Allen’s car, carrying out surveillance, and ultimately travelling from south-east London to Allen’s rented home in Woodford Green. The plan culminated in a brutal attack on the evening of July 11, 2019, when six shots were fired through Allen’s kitchen windows and doors, striking him in the neck while he stood inside.

Allen survived the ambush but was left paralysed, and the attack has been described by police as a “defined attempt to take a man’s life.”

DNA, CCTV and Forensics Key to Convictions

Evidence presented at trial included DNA recovered from a garden fence, matching Kelly and Louis Ahearne. Ballistic tests linked bullet casings at the scene to a Glock handgun fitted with a laser sight, later found at Kelly’s address. CCTV also captured the hire car, arranged by Stewart Ahearne, being used during the operation.

The defendants had attempted to flee the scene immediately after the shooting, with Stewart waiting in the car while the other two launched the attack.

Reacting to the guilty verdict, Stewart Ahearne said from the dock: “You are only human. That’s all I have to say about that.”

Criminal History Spanning Borders

The court also heard that the men were involved in a separate burglary of Ming dynasty antiques worth more than £2.7 million, stolen from the Museum of Far Eastern Art in Geneva just weeks before the shooting. They later travelled to Hong Kong in an attempt to sell the priceless artefacts, including a 14th century An Huan phoenix bowl and a 15th century “chicken cup”.

In October 2020, Stewart Ahearne was arrested at a London hotel while trying to sell one of the stolen items to an undercover officer.

Background: Allen’s Infamous Criminal Past

Paul Allen, a career criminal, was sentenced to 18 years in 2009 for his role in the notorious Securitas robbery, where masked assailants kidnapped bank staff and stole tens of millions in cash from a depot in Tonbridge, Kent. Much of the money was never recovered.

After his release from prison, Allen relocated to Woodford Green, but remained a target of the criminal underworld, prosecutors said.

Sentencing and Police Statement

All three men have been remanded into custody and will be sentenced by Judge Sarah Whitehouse KC at the Old Bailey on April 25.

Detective Superintendent Matt Webb, from the Metropolitan Police, praised the investigative work and described the plot as “something straight out of a Hollywood blockbuster.”

“This was a horrific and calculated attempt to take a man’s life. The court heard how the defendants made significant preparations to ensure their attack was successful,” he said.

“I hope these convictions send a clear message: serious and organised violence will not go unpunished.”

Public Reaction and Ongoing Impact

The case has reignited public interest in the Securitas robbery, one of Britain’s most audacious heists, and the subsequent fallout that has continued to ripple through the criminal underworld for more than a decade.

The sentencing next month is expected to result in lengthy custodial terms for all three men.