Trial of alleged robbers opens without jury

John Twomey, Peter Blake, Barry Hibberd and Glen Cameron are accused of taking part in a "professionally executed" 1.75m hold-up at a Heathrow Airport warehouse in February 2004.

The Court of Appeal ruled last year that the case should be heard by a judge alone because of the danger of jury tampering.

It is the first major criminal trial in England and Wales to be held without a jury, and is taking place at the Royal Courts of Justice.

As the case was about to open it was the judge, Mr Justice Treacy, who was formally put in charge of the defendants by the clerk of the court, rather than any jury.

Earlier during legal submissions Sam Stein QC, for Hibberd, remarked: "We are breaking history. This is the first time that a court has started a jury-less trial."

Twomey, 61, of New Milton, Hampshire, Blake, 57, of Notting Hill, west London, Hibberd, 43, of Shepherd's Bush, west London, and Cameron, 50, of New Milton, Hampshire, all deny a series of charges including robbery and firearm possession.

Instead of reading out all 18 charges as she would have done to the jury, the clerk of the court simply asked the judge to confirm he had seen the indictment.

She then informed the judge that the defendants had pleaded not guilty and that it was in his charge to say whether they were guilty or not .

After this procedure, Mr Russell Flint began to set out the Crown's case.

The trial continues.