Paul Allen, involved in a major cash robbery, was shot in his home. Three men face attempted murder charges.
The court at the Old Bailey heard that people intended to kill him, and they almost succeeded. Louis Ahearne, 36, Stewart Ahearne, 46, and Daniel Kelly, 46, face charges for plotting to kill Allen.
The prosecutor described the shooting. It happened on July 11, 2019, after 11 PM. Someone fired a Glock 9mm handgun as Paul Allen stood in his kitchen on Malvern Drive in Woodford, East London.
The shooter’s goal was murder, and evidence will demonstrate this to the jury. They almost managed to kill Allen. He was hit by two of at least six bullets fired, with one striking the center of his throat.
This throat wound caused paralysis. Neighbors, police, and paramedics responded quickly. Surgeons saved his life by removing the bullet from his spine. Three men who allegedly planned the attack are now in court.
The gunshots were loud. People all around Woodford heard them, and police received numerous emergency calls. Allen’s neighbors heard noises, and his partner screamed that he’d been shot, asking for an ambulance.
Allen was slumped in the hallway, holding a towel to his neck and struggling to breathe. One bullet almost amputated his finger. A security guard gave first aid, and armed officers arrived before paramedics.
Neighbors saw people running away and entering a rented Renault Captur, which sped away quickly. Crime scene officers arrived and found shell casings near a summer house.
Swabs from a nearby fence panel revealed DNA matching Kelly and Louis Ahearne. The shooter targeted Allen’s throat and used a special sight on the Glock gun. A similar sight was found at Kelly’s home.
Allen is a career criminal, having helped steal £54 million in Britain’s largest cash robbery at Securitas Express in Kent. Much of the money is still missing.
Allen moved to Woodford with his family after his prison release. The defendants lived in Woolwich. Jurors heard they traveled through the Blackwall Tunnel and targeted Allen’s home.
The prosecutor stated that they carefully planned the attack. This included scouting the area, even on the morning of the shooting. They used unregistered phones and rented cars for the crime.
Stewart Ahearne rented a car from a Dartford dealership, which the others subsequently used in a burglary. This happened the day before the shooting at a gated community in Kent.
CCTV cameras on a nearby house captured events. Kelly allegedly did reconnaissance in a Mercedes car on the prior morning and on earlier dates as well.
Allen came home in a Ford Fiesta and later took his Mercedes car out, delaying the planned attack. The defendants put a tracker on his car, allowing them to follow him.
Louis Ahearne is from Greenwich. Stewart Ahearne and Kelly have no address. All deny conspiring to murder Allen between June 26 and July 12, 2019.