Armed robbers have been shown in CCTV footage using a stolen truck to smash into a jewellery shop before taking almost £300,000 worth of stock.
The gang rammed a highway maintenance vehicle into Danyaal Jewellers in Sparkbrook, Birmingham, before ransacking the store in a daytime raid on 3 March last year.
Video showed glass flying as the truck reversed into the shop causing the front to collapse – with a staff member almost struck by falling debris, narrowly escaping serious injury.
Three masked men were then seen smashing display cabinets using a sledgehammer and grabbing gold jewellery.
A fourth man stayed inside the vehicle, a Toyota Hilux, while a fifth acted as “crowd control” waving an axe at onlookers.
They spent just 70 seconds at the scene before fleeing, abandoning the truck less than half a mile away and speeding off in an Audi.
They stole up to 5kg of 22 carat gold jewellery worth £292,165, West Midlands Police said.
Less than two hours later, the gang ringleader, named as John Gourlay, 49, was seen selling a bangle for £1,500 in the city’s Jewellery Quarter.
(L-R) Ringleader John Gourlay, Justin Boylan and Trevor Leek
Police said: “We were able to link him to the raid as his fingerprints were on the sale sheet and he was wearing the same clothing as when he was captured on CCTV.”
Gourlay, together with Trevor Leek, 44; Justin Boylan, 51; Arfan Latif, 38; and Hassan Zulfiqar, 26, were all convicted of conspiracy to rob and possessing an offensive weapon following a four-week trial at Birmingham Crown Court.
Gourlay earlier admitted charges of stealing the Toyota Hilux, fraud by false representation and converting criminal property.
Leek was found not guilty of an additional count of theft of the Hilux.
All five will face sentencing at the court next month.
Arfan Latif and Hassan Zulfiqar
Read more:
Gems and jewellery worth $100m stolen in heist on armoured van
Teenage avoids getting stuck in jail over £30,000 chewing gum heist
Ex-convict reveals how he pulled off ‘impossible’ Ocean’s Eleven-style heist
DC Patrick Fuldun, of West Midlands Police’s force priorities team, said: “This was clearly an extensively planned armed robbery, with careful thought by the five defendants going into disguising themselves, the vehicles and the locations of their phones.
“This robbery took place in broad daylight, on a busy street, and must have been horrendous for anyone witnessing it.
“The staff member inside narrowly escaped serious injury, if not worse.”
DC Fuldun hailed the convictions as a “testament to the tenacity of officers” and a “firm deterrent to criminals”.
