Stolen Art Watch, Dinosaurs Extinct, it was the Johnson's, Global Warming, it was the Johnson's, Dilatory, Incompetent Police, Blame the Johnson's !!

Men on Ramsbury Manor raid charge in court

Five men accused concocting an elaborate plot to burgle luxury country estates - including a multi-million pound raid on the home of one of Britain's richest men - yesterday stood before a judge to deny the offences.

Ricky, Albi and Richard "Chad" Johnson, along with Daniel O'Loughlin and Michael Nicholls all pleaded not guilty to one charge of conspiracy to burgle.

Chad Johnson, aged 32 years, and 31-year-old O'Loughlin also denied handling stolen goods.

The two counts heard at Reading Crown Court related to an alleged conspiracy for a crime spree across five counties where country mansions would be stripped of antiques and jewellery.

One of the properties raided was Ramsbury Manor in Wiltshire owned by property tycoon Harry Hyams.

It is thought that more than 20 million pounds worth of antiques were stolen, including a 17th Century clock worth one million pounds alone.

Mr Hyams is listed 155th on the Sunday Times Rich List with an estimated fortune of £320 million pounds.

He was responsible for building one of London's most distinctive buildings, Centrepoint.

All five defendants sat in the dock flanked by four security guards with two police officers in the court room. They spoke only to enter their pleas and instruct their defence teams.

Ricky Johnson, aged 52 years, Chad Johnson and Daniel O'Loughlin also face charges relating to a burglary at Waddesdon Manor, Bucks., which was owned by the Rothschild family and then bequeathed to the National Trust.

None of the defendants entered their pleas although the trial was listed to start on November 26.

Judge Christopher Critchlow told them: "This is a serious case and it demands an awful lot of work."

Prosecutor Paul Reid said that there would be 14 witnesses for the November trial which was expected to last for two weeks.

The five defendants will face the trial for conspiracy on January 7 and it is thought it will last up to five weeks.

Ricky Johnson, of Cirencester Road, Cowley, and 25-year-old Albi Johnson of St Pauls Way, Cheltenham, Glos., were released on bail.

Chad Johnson, O'Loughlin and 28-year-old Nicholls, all of Evesham Road, Cleeve Prior, Cheltenham, were remanded in custody.

Art Hostage comments:

So, the prosecution has 14 witnesses, will any of them be giving "Sewer Rat" Supergrass evidence ??

What other evidence has the prosecution got other than circumstantial and "Sewer Rat, Supergrass ??"

Has any property been recovered, bet there is none to speak of, other than the broken pieces found by Police that came from Ramsbury Manor.

The Gold boxes stolen from Lord Rothschild's Waddesdon Manor remain outstanding and it is rumoured that the valuation is only around £3 million for the whole collection.

However, this is just a fraction of their true value.

The true value would be something like £50 million trade and £100+ million retail, why so much, because the Rothschild collection of gold boxes is the finest in the world, including the collection held in the Louvre museum in Paris.

Remember there were over 100 gold boxes stolen, each one has a value of £500,000, many are worth millions, wonder why the value has been put so low ??

Perhaps it is to keep any reward offered, £50,000 in the Waddesdon Manor gold boxes case, to a bear minimum.

I don't agree with undervaluing stolen art.

The rewards that are offered are impossible to collect and only available to ex-Art Police investigators, so why not offer millions as a reward, it will not be paid in any case.

The two upcoming trials will be interesting to watch, not least because it is intended to revive the use of "Supergrasses, Sewer Rats"

Without any other primary evidence the reliance on Supergrass, Sewer Rat testimony is fraught with danger as seen in the past.

This revival of the Supergrass, Sewer Rat does not show Police are cunning and competent, it shows Police are dilatory, lazy and unable to bring charges on their own merit.

There is a case going on in Ireland, the main evidence is Supergrass testimony, already one defendant has been acquitted, the reason, the supergrass gave evidence of hearing voices in his head, a ploy to try and get the accused acquitted, whilst still retaining the perks of becoming a supergrass.

I wonder if, when the Sewer Rat, Supergrass gets into the witness box at these two trials, they say they have heard voices in their head, and it has all been a terrible mistake, the Police told the supergrass what to say, the Police are so desperate to get a conviction on these high profile Art thefts, they have rushed to charge innocent men, on tainted testimony from a tainted, soon to suffer from memory loss, supergrass, Sewer Rat.

Whether these men are guilty or not is not the issue.

The issue is whether there is enough credible evidence to convict beyond a reasonable doubt.

I am sure the defence lawyers have been asked to research every Supergrass trial, and subsequent appeal, to show a pattern of acquittals when the primary evidence is Supergrass, Sewer Rat testimony.

I am sure there will be comments over at Ruthie's Law about the use of Supergrass, Sewer Rat testimony, especially if all the other evidence is circumstantial.

To be continued...............