East Lancs armed robber and ‘inside man’ guilty of shooting (From This Is Lancashire)

East Lancashire armed robber and ‘inside man’ guilty of security guard shooting

9:24am Wednesday 14th April 2010 in News By Sam Chadderton, Reporter

A FIVE-STRONG gang which planned to commit cash-in-transit robberies, including a Blackburn raid in which a security guard was shot, are facing long prison terms.

David Evans, 20, and Dean Farrell, 22 were yesterday found guilty of conspiracy to commit robbery for their part in the raid at a cashpoint in Preston Old Road, Cherry Tree, Blackburn in which the security guard was shot in the leg.

Farrell, of Billinge Avenue, Blackburn, was also found guilty of wounding with intent after the jury decided that he had pulled the trigger on 30-year-old guard Imran Aslam.

Both Evans, of Bonsall Street, Blackburn and Farrell, were found guilty of possessing the firearm used during the robbery.

They will be sentenced on May 14 alongside gang leader Colin McCash, 31, of Spencer Street, Accrington, and ‘inside agent’ 28-year-old Simon Ginn, a former Loomis security guard himself, of Water Street, Accrington, who both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery ahead of the trial.

A fifth man James Mulholland, 37, Windermere Avenue, Accrington, had earlier been cleared of the Blackburn robbery, but was found guilty of a second raid carried out by the gang in Thornton Cleveleys.

The verdicts mark the end to a lengthy case which included a re-trial, after the judge told the jury at the orginal trial to formally acquit two of the defendants, Samantha Knight and Billy Anker, before swearing in a new jury the following Monday.

The judge also placed reporting restrictions on the case, until now.

Knight, McCash’s former girlfriend, and Anker had been charged alongside the other gang members with conspiracy to commit robbery, but the judge ordered the charges to be dismissed for a lack of evidence.

However, Anker pleaded guilty to possession of ammunition.

The complex case was put together backwards, with detectives investigating the Blackburn robbery first, then linking the suspects to the earlier Thornton Cleveleys raid which happened four months earlier.

Key pieces in the jigsaw were anonymous tip-offs and officers trawling through mountains of phone records.

Soon after the Blackburn raid in December 2008, detectives released CCTV footage of the robbers via the Lancashire Telegraph.

The Lancashire Telegraph’s appeal generated crucial tip-offs and had the culprits looking over their shoulders.

Detective Superintendent Neil Hunter, who led the case with Detective Constable Paul Broxton, said: “Very often when we do CCTV trawls, cameras aren’t working or tapes haven’t been changed or it is not of evidential value.

"Well, on this occasion it was.”

Det Supt Hunter said from early on in the inquiry officers believed that the culprits could be local.

He said: “Historically, when we look at cash-in-transit robberies we would ordinarily look at Manchester or Liverpool-based criminals.

“But on this occasion we didn’t find any stolen motor vehicles involved at all.

“You straight away start to think that’s a bit odd, then we realised they didn’t make off towards the M65 – they made off towards the town centre and on a motorbike so that makes you start to look closer to home.

“Then we found the cashbox, which it turned out had been burned a number of hours after the offence.

"If they were from Manchester or Liverpool why would they be still in Blackburn 7pm 8pm at night?

“That was a good indicator that we were looking locally.

"That was followed up by a phone call the same day saying the people you are looking for are Farrell and Evans.”

Soon after, the local community beat officer in Accrington followed up reports from a petrol station that they were getting stained notes from the robbery over the counter.

Det Insp Broxson said: “To get Colin McCash on CCTV handing over stained notes and more importantly recovering the notes and being able to directly link them to our box was a significant breakthrough.” The lengthy work then started to put together a package of evidence, without the weapon, until a terrifying find by two young boys.

Det Supt Hunter said: “Quite shockingly it was found by chance.

"The real shock was it was found accidentally by a 10-year-old and a 12-year-old boy who were just playing in the wooded area. It was loaded.

“You can just imagine if they had thought about a game of cowboys and Indians, click, click, bang and you’ve possibly got a dead 10 or 12-year-old on your hands.”

Finally, examination of telephone records paid off with a ‘golden nugget’. Det Supt Hunter said: “We were looking through thousands and thousands of telephone numbers and suddenly discovered Simon Ginn was in contact with Colin McCash immediately before the offence and was an employee of Loomis.”

As part of Lancashire Constabulary’s Operation Vault, cash-in-transit deliveries can request police chaperones, which Ginn had done in the past using the same mobile phone number which came up on McCash’s contacts.

“For the Blackburn job he’s provided inside information to McCash about routes, delivery, timings, probably amounts they were carrying, who’s going to be on board, and likelihood of resistance.

“There was a shock, but a delighted shock that the number was linked to someone who worked at Loomis.

“Then it started to fall in place that there was an inside agent.”

The gang

Dean Farrell
Convicted of conspiracy to commit robbery, wounding with intent and possession of a firearm with intent (Blackburn), but cleared of conspiracy to commit robbery (Thornton). Police believe he was the shooter in the second robbery – a theory backed by the jury's verdict.

David Evans
Convicted of conspiracy to commit robbery (Blackburn), possession of a firearm with intent, but cleared of the wounding with intent charge. Jury decided he was one of the two men who did the Blackburn raid, but did not pull the trigger.

James ‘Dippy’ Mulholland
Convicted of conspiracy to commit robbery (Thornton). Prosecution say he was driver of the car used as a getaway in the first robbery at Morrisons.

Simon Ginn
Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery (Blackburn) and conspiracy to commit robbery (Thornton). Inside agent who worked for security firm Loomis. Lifelong friend of McCash after the two had grown up together in Accrington. Trapped by telephone records.

Colin McCash
Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery (Blackburn) and conspiracy to commit robbery (Thornton) Planner, organiser and ‘brains behind the outfit’. Used the expert knowledge of the mechanics of a delivery gleaned from close friend and Loomis operative Ginn.

TIMELINE OF THE PLOT

August 1, 2008. According to the court indictment, this is when the gang started to put together their plans.

August 24, 2008. On the way to an ‘overnight stay in Blackpool’ McCash and Knight, in separate cars, take a detour north to do a ‘reconnaissance’ of the Thornton Cleveleys Morrisons store.

August 25, 2008. 1st offence. John Moss is threatened and drops a £50,000 cassette, with Ginn safely inside the cash bunker. Investigation shelved after no evidence or leads uncovered by CID.

December 4, 2008. Members of gang in and around Preston Old Road, Blackburn, monitoring a Loomis cash delivery. Does the busy sandwich shop, open early, put them off? Motorbike heard racing along nearby towpath.

December 8, 2008. Similar activity reported around Preston Old Road, Cherry Tree. Phone records show the group are up and about. Motorbike seen unattended in a bush.

December 11, 2008, 2nd offence, security guard shot. Force Major Incident Team become involved. Early investigations bring no concrete leads until....

December 15, 2008. A burned out cashbox is found near Bonsall Street and reported to police.

December 16, 2008. Appeal for information in the Lancashire Telegraph.

December 16, 2008. Anonymous tip-off names three people involved in Blackburn job which police were ‘eternally grateful for’. Confirmed through police intelligence they are ‘likely and viable’ suspects.

December 17, 2008. Police swoop and make three arrests over Blackburn raid, including Evans and Farrell.

December 17/18, 2008. More information comes in linking suspects to the Thornton Cleveleys job.

Christmas 2008. Staff at the Burnley Road, Accrington, petrol station begin to notice dye-stained £10 and £20 notes being spent by McCash.

January 15, 2009. McCash caught on CCTV paying for petrol for his Subaru Impreza using stolen, dye-stained notes.

April 26, 2009. Brocock revolver, still loaded, found by two 10-year-olds in the roots of a tree near Ewood Park. Later confirmed as the gun used to shoot the security guard.

May 27, 2009. McCash arrested for the first time over Blackburn offence and charged the next day. Farrell, Evans and Ginn also arrested.

September 9, 2009. McCash re-arrested when police had enough to charge him for Thornton Cleveleys. Also re-arrested were Farrell and Ginn.

October 23, 2009. James Mulholland arrested.

March 1, 2010. Two weeks before trial, McCash indicates guilty pleas, March 15, 2010. On the first day of trial, inside agent Ginn also pleads, meaning the two ringleaders have now admitted their parts.