Scot jailed over murder of man linked with Brinks Mat robbery
A SCOT was one of two hitmen jailed for life yesterday over the contract killing of a career criminal linked to the notorious Brinks Mat robbery.
Terence Conaghan, 54, of Springburn, Glasgow, and John O’Flynn, 53, of Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, lay in wait for George Francis, 63, outside his haulage company business in south-east London.
They shot him in the face, back and arm as he leaned into his car to retrieve a newspaper. After a two-month trial at the Old Bailey in London, Conaghan and O’Flynn were found guilty of murder.
Yesterday both men were jailed for life with a minimum term of 20 years, despite concerns voiced by their lawyers that they might die in jail.
Judge Martin Stephens told them: “I am quite sure that you are both ruthless, determined criminals, intent on the use of extreme violence as and when required.”
He added: “Quite what the motive was of the person or persons who hired you is far from clear.”
The court heard that they were paid 30,000 to murder Mr Francis in May 2003. A third man, Harry Richardson, 59, of Orpington, Kent, was cleared of orchestrating the assassination.
Mr Francis was the ninth man to die in the aftermath of the 1983 gold bullion heist from a Heathrow warehouse and the reason for his murder remains shrouded in mystery.
His death came 18 years after he survived a previous murder attempt, when a hooded gunman burst into his Kent pub and shot him at close range.
Mr Francis, who the trial heard had a “chequered history” and was “no stranger to crime”, was widely believed to have helped dispose of a large chunk of the 26 million haul from the robbery of the Heathrow warehouse.
As the gang members were rounded up and jailed, Mr Francis and associate Brian Perry were said to have been entrusted with looking after 5 million from the robbery until their release - but spent the money.
This triggered revenge shootings, in which Mr Perry, 63, was shot dead as he arrived for work a few hundred yards from where Mr Francis was killed 17 months earlier.
