Key facts
- Three men have been jailed for plotting to murder Paul Allen, who was convicted of Britain's largest cash robbery.
- Daniel Kelly received a 36-year sentence, Louis Ahearne 33 years, and Stewart Ahearne 30 years.
- Paul Allen was shot and left paralyzed in 2019, an incident described as a near-successful attempt on his life.
- The judge stated the murder plot involved others and the convicted men were motivated by financial gain.
- DNA evidence connected Daniel Kelly and Louis Ahearne to the shooting.
- Two additional men have been charged in relation to the plot.
Three men have been jailed for their roles in a plot to murder Paul Allen, a former cagefighter convicted of Britain's largest cash robbery. Allen, 41, was shot and left paralyzed in 2019 during an attack described by a judge as a near-successful attempt on his life.
Daniel Kelly was sentenced to 36 years in prison with a five-year extended licence, Louis Ahearne received 33 years, and Stewart Ahearne was jailed for 30 years. Judge Sarah Whitehouse KC stated that the agreement to murder Allen involved others and that the three men were motivated by a promise of financial gain.
The judge highlighted Kelly as the shooter and noted his significant criminal history, including two outstanding extradition requests. Kelly has 20 previous convictions for 60 offences. Louis Ahearne has six convictions for 14 offences, and Stewart Ahearne has nine convictions for 26 offences.
Prosecutors alleged Allen was a sophisticated career criminal, having been convicted in 2009 for his part in the £54 million Securitas robbery. The court heard that the defendants planned the shooting carefully, conducted surveillance, and fitted a tracker to Allen's car.
On July 11, 2019, six shots were fired through the back doors and windows of Allen's home, striking him in the neck. Detective Superintendent Matt Webb described the attack as a well-planned and orchestrated effort by hardened organised criminals, emphasizing that only the intervention of first responders prevented Allen's death. DNA evidence recovered from the garden fence matched Kelly and Louis Ahearne.
Two additional men have since been charged in connection with the plot to murder Paul Allen.