Leader of armed robbery gang 'will die in jail' after historic trial without a jury

Career criminal John Twomey, 62, was sentenced to 20 years and six months for leading a 1.75m raid on a Heathrow Airport warehouse in February 2004.

Tattooed Twomey wiped away tears and waved to a woman who wept in the public gallery as he was taken down to begin his sentence.

Fellow robber Peter Blake was jailed for life with a minimum term of 10 years and nine months by Mr Justice Treacy at the Old Bailey.

Twomey's brother-in-law, Glenn Cameron, 50, and QPR football thug Barry Hibberd, 43, who also took part, were sentenced to 15 years and 17 years and six months respectively.

New laws meant the trial could be heard by a judge alone after the Court of Appeal ruled there was a serious danger that a jury could be nobbled. It was the first serious criminal trial to be held without a jury in England and Wales.

Ringleader Twomey has already faced three trials over the robbery but evaded justice thanks to a heart attack in the first and a hung jury in the second.

A third attempt ground to halt over claims of jury tampering and the Court of Appeal ordered a trial by a judge alone.

Twomey, of New Milton, Hampshire, denied his role in the heist at the Menzies World Cargo warehouse and claimed he had been framed by Flying Squad officers but his defence was rejected by Mr Justice Treacy.

After considering his verdicts for a week and a half, the judge found Twomey guilty of robbery, alongside co-defendants Blake, of Notting Hill, west London, Hibberd, of Shepherds Bush, west London, and Cameron, of New Milton.

All four were also convicted of having a firearm with intent to commit robbery. Blake, who shot at one of the members of staff at the warehouse, was found guilty of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm and a further firearms charge.

Following the verdicts, John Aspinall QC, for Twomey, referred to his client's heart condition and said: "It is a distinct prospect that he will serve the rest of his days in prison."

Twomey, who was spared a life term because of his poor health, tried to maintain his composure and held his chin up as he was being sentenced.

But after a woman began sobbing loudly in the public gallery he glanced up and reddened, shaking his head slightly at her, then raised a tattooed forearm to brush away his own tears.

The judge said Twomey was "clearly the organiser, planner and recruiter" and "the principal offender".