Men jailed over Ashley Cole raid and £3.5m Portland Tiara heist

Image source, Getty Images

Six men have been sentenced for their part in a raid at the home of ex- football player.

When Mr Cole and Sharon Canu were robbed at their home, they were bound by cable ties.

The ex-England left-back told the court that the raid changed him as a person.

In November of last year, the Portland Tiara was stolen from its glass case at the Welbeck Estate.

One man, Kurtis Dilks, was found guilty over the violent raid at Mr Cole's home, with three other men guilty over the theft of the tiara.

Dilks was sentenced to 30 years, Cumberpatch and MacDonald were sentenced to 24 and 27 years, respectively.

Image source, Welbeck Estate

"I've no doubt you're all intelligent, violent and chillingly ruthless," said Judge James Sampson.

You were willing to terrorise your victims in order to satisfy your greed.

Six men were convicted after a 10-week trial for their roles in a string of "ruthlessly executed" crimes.

Image source, PA Media

Mr Cole broke down when he talked about how a gang tied his hands while he was holding his daughter.

The court was told that the gang threatened to cut Mr Cole's fingers off.

Mr Cole said in his victim impact statement that it had changed the lives of his partner and his children as well as himself.

He said that the picture of that night affects everything.

I will never forget the terror and confusion on my children's faces.

Images and thoughts will never leave my mind and can pop up anywhere.

He said that home security made it feel like a fortress, but he couldn't go out to the bin without a torch and a guard dog.

Image source, The Portland Collection

Ms Canu was in court to hear her statement read, which said she felt unsafe after the attack.

She said she's so conscious about who she has in her house.

Randomly, you can be doing something.

It took less than eight minutes for the Portland Tiara to be taken.

The 6th Duke of Portland ordered the creation of a tiara for his wife, who wore it to the funeral of King Edward, the Queen's great-grandfather, in 1901.

The trial heard that the theft of the tiara and its associated brooch was a shocking event and they will never be seen again.

• Kurtis Dilks, 35, of Whitegate Vale in Clifton, Nottingham, was found guilty of three counts of conspiracy to commit burglary, four counts of converting criminal property, three counts of conspiracy to commit robbery, and two counts of robbery, and was jailed for 30 years, with a five-year extended licence period
• Ashley Cumberpatch, 37, previously of First Avenue in Carlton, Nottinghamshire, was convicted of three counts of conspiracy to commit burglary, five counts of converting criminal property, and three counts of conspiracy to commit robbery, and was jailed for 24 years, with a five-year extended licence period
• Andrew MacDonald, 42, of no fixed address, was found guilty of three counts of conspiracy to commit burglary, five counts of converting criminal property, and three counts of conspiracy to commit robbery, and was jailed for 27 years, with a five-year extended licence period
• Tevfik Guccuk, 41, of Houndsden Road, Southgate, London, was found guilty of five counts of converting criminal property, and was jailed for seven years
• Sercan Evsin, 27, of Meadow Close in Barnet, was convicted of four counts of converting criminal property, and was jailed for five years
• Christopher Yorke, 50, of Rose Ash Lane in Nottingham, was convicted of one count of converting criminal property, and was given a 12-month sentence, suspended for 21 months. He was also told to complete 200 hours of unpaid work

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