Trial date set for ‘last member’ of Hatton Garden burglary gang

Michael Seed, from Islington, London, is said to be ‘Basil’ the mystery member of the gang that stole £14 million of gold, cash and gems from the Hatton Garden Safe Deposit in 2015.

The suspect, who was arrested following a search warrant at his north London home in March, was due to appear at Woolwich Crown Court on April 26.

But he reportedly refused to leave Wandsworth Prison, where he is being held on remand amid fears for his personal safety if sent to HMP Belmarsh – the high-security jail next to the Woolwich court.

A trial date of September 24 has been set where he will face charges of conspiracy to burgle and conspiracy to conceal or disguise criminal property. The hearing is scheduled to last three weeks.

The raid, which took place over the Easter bank holiday in 2015, saw the group make two attempts over two separate nights to drill through a thick concrete wall to get into the safe deposit centre.

Once inside they spent several hours searching through 73 of the 999 boxes before leaving with a vast amount of goods worth an estimated £25 million.

During the trial, it was described as the “biggest burglary in English history”.

On March 9, 2016 John Collins, Daniel Jones and Terry Perkins and William Lincoln were sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment, while Carl Wood was handed a six-year prison term.

Brian Reader was jailed for six years and three months and Hugh Doyle given a 21-month suspended sentence.
Perkins, 69, considered one of the ringleaders, died in HMP Belmarsh in February.