Brian Reader and the Diamond Wheezers: The Geriatric Jewel Thieves | 177

Summary

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Scamfluencers Podcast Summary

Episode Title: Brian Reader and the Diamond Wheezers: The Geriatric Jewel Thieves | 177
Hosts: Scaachi Koul & Sarah Hagi
Date: September 8, 2025

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Episode Overview

This episode dives into the audacious and cinematic Hatton Garden heist of 2015—one of the largest jewel robberies in British history. The twist? The masterminds were a crew of elderly, semi-retired criminals, led by the infamous Brian Reader, aptly dubbed "The Gov'." Hosts Scaachi and Sarah unravel the fascinating life of Brian—his upbringing in poverty, rise through London's criminal underworld, and the compelling motivations that brought him (and a motley crew of aging ex-cons) back into the game for “one last job.” The story unfolds as both a character study and a meditation on aging, camaraderie, and why so many are charmed by nonviolent con artists.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Making of a “Gentleman Thief”

• Early Life in Poverty: Brian's criminal path started young, stealing for survival as a child in South London. His father, also a thief, eventually abandoned the family, pressing Brian into a caretaker role.
• Finding Community in Crime: Avoiding violence, Brian’s early criminal “crew” treated heisting like a trade, priding themselves on skill, discipline, and a family-like code.
• Culture of British Heists: The 60s–80s were a “golden era” for high-profile, tabloid-famous robberies. These crimes, it’s noted, often gripped the public imagination—“Heists are cool, and I don't make the rules and I'm not proud of it, but this is cool.” — Scaachi (11:06)

Escalation and Retreat

• Major Heists & Infamy: Brian’s suspected role in massive London robberies, including helping notorious crime boss Kenny Noye move gold from the 1983 Heathrow Airport heist, brought police attention and tabloid scrutiny.
  • “Brian and Kenny are acquitted of the police officer's murder. Kenny claims he acted in self defense, and Brian says he wasn't present when the stabbing occurred. But it's a huge scandal.” — Sarah (20:08)
• Personal Downfall: The impact of criminal life weighed heavily on Brian’s family, especially his wife Lynn. After prison, Brian tried to reform, running a car dealership with his son and living quietly—until tragedy struck.

The Return: Hatton Garden Heist

• Motivation for 'One Last Job': After Lynn’s death and facing his own failing health, Brian saw little to lose and sought to recapture the thrill (and the community) of his youth by planning an epic heist.
  • “He spent so much time in prison that I'm sure... it's like they lost so much time.” — Scaachi (25:21)
• Forming the Crew: Brian recruits old friends and fellow ex-cons, each with his specialty—safecracking, tech, getaway driving. The group’s average age: over 60. Nicknames abound (“The Gov'”, “Diamond Weezers,” “Dad’s Army”).
• Heist Prep: Meticulous planning, Friday night pub meetings, extensive research (including drills learned from YouTube!), and broken marriages—arguably, all for “community” as much as cash.

The Hatton Garden Break-In (April 2015)

• Impenetrable Vault: The Hatton Garden safe deposit vault was considered “indestructible”; the challenge evoked classic heist movie suspense.
  • “This is classic part of a heist movie. They gotta get through the impenetrable door. But... what if they get trapped?” — Scaachi (26:30)
• Execution & Setbacks:
  • The first attempt fails: a metal cabinet blocks the vault; tools break; Brian, anxious and dissatisfied, bails on his own job (36:11).
  • The crew regroups and succeeds in a return attempt, drilling an enormous hole through 20-inch concrete. Only 73 out of 1,000 boxes can be looted, but it’s still a massive haul.
• Charm and Human Frailty: Scenes abound of insulin packs, fitness routines, and old men out of breath, giving the story a blend of comedy, humanity, and suspense.

The Aftermath — Investigation and Downfall

• The Public Reaction: The British press and public are oddly enamored by the “Diamond Wheezers,” seeing them as lovable rogues.
• How They Got Caught:
  • Missed technical steps—an incomplete alarm bypass, using traceable cars, and cell phone use—lead police right to the crew. Undercover surveillance catches them bragging at their regular pub (47:59).
    • “Classic London. Three old white men wearing their little jackets and their button up shirts, sitting at the pub... one of them is wildly gesticulating as if he is the drill, showing them how they broke in.” — Scaachi (47:59)
• Sentencing and Legacy: Given their age and health, sentences range from six to seven years, with Brian released early due to illness. He dies in 2024, dubbed “the last gentleman criminal.”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On British Heist Nostalgia:
  “In the UK the 60s through the 80s was a golden era for career criminals... these ocean's 11 style crimes all but disappeared. But in the 2010s, a crew of aging criminals decided... they weren't done yet.”
  — Sarah (05:33)

• On the Nature of Crime & Motivation:
  “To me, I'm also like, you didn't have to do this at all. You did it for the love of the game. They loved the puzzles. They love the camaraderie.”
  — Sarah (53:03)

• On Crime and Community:
  “These guys just wanted to, like, bully around each other at the pub, but there wasn't a reason to do that, and they needed a project and nobody told them to just, like, go make boats in little bottles or something.”
  — Scaachi (53:39)

• On Ageism and Underestimation:
  “This is actually a story about ageism. All these people underestimated these old men, didn't think they could do it, and they did it.”
  — Scaachi (52:24)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Brian’s First Crime & Upbringing: 07:15 – 09:00
• The Culture of Heists in London: 05:33 – 11:00
• Hatton Garden Vault Background: 25:00 – 26:30
• Planning the Heist Meetings: 27:00 – 33:00
• Heist Execution & Setback: 34:00 – 36:30
• Aftermath—Investigation & Arrests: 40:20 – 48:30
• Reflection on Community & Aging: 52:24 – 54:03

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Episode Takeaways

• The Hatton Garden heist was more about nostalgia, pride, and lost community than about greed.
• Press and the public romanticized the audacity and eccentricity of the “Diamond Wheezers.”
• Brian Reader’s life story echoes the paradoxical romance of old-school crime—equal parts charm and tragedy, fueled by skills learned in hardship and relationships forged in lawless camaraderie.
• The episode closes with a meditation by the hosts on men, friendship, aging, and the ultimate futility—and allure—of “doing one last job,” even if the loot is less valuable than the sense of belonging.

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Recommended for: True crime fans, those interested in British criminal lore, and anyone fascinated by the human stories behind legendary heists.

Transcript

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[Sarah Hagie]

Sachi. You are a woman of many skills. Yeah, you're welcome. What role would you take in like an Ocean's Eleven type of heist? Like what would your role be in the group, do you think?

[Sachi Kol]

Honeypot.

[Sarah Hagie]

Oh my God.

[Sachi Kol]

Just a sparkling smile to distract a security guard. Oh, boys like that.

[Sarah Hagie]

Yeah, I'm sure you would not be like hey wait a second, you.

[Sachi Kol]

No, I would love to do it.

[Sarah Hagie]

Well, I would be kind of equally useless. I think my job would be more of like a personality hire. Good vibe to motivate my fellow criminals.

[Sachi Kol]

If you and I found one smart person, we would probably do crime. It's a good thing you and I are both too dumb to do it on our own.

[Sarah Hagie]

Yeah. Well, I'm about to tell you the story of a heist that made international headlines. Not just because it was cinematic as hell, but because. But because it was pulled off by the last people you'd ever Cranky old men. It's a Thursday evening In April of 2015, the start of Easter weekend. Brian Reeder is riding the bus towards London's Hatton Garden, a commercial district at the heart of the UK's diamond industry. Brian is a 76 year old British man with a long face and thin white hair. He's wearing a dashing outfit complete with a colorful striped scarf and striped socks. And he has big plans for the long weekend. When the bus stops, Brian gets off and walks over to one of the most iconic buildings in the district. The Hatton Garden Safe deposit. It's a secure storage facility used by some local jewelers. In the basement is a vault containing gold, diamonds and jewels worth hundreds of millions of pounds. Brian joins a group of older gentlemen gathered near the building. Some are dressed in high visibility vests and look like city workers. They pass Brian a hard hat and he slips it on. This is step one in their plan. They wait for one of Brian's friends already inside to make his move. Brian's about to check his watch when pop. Right on cue, one of the building's fire exits opens from the inside. Brian and his buddies wheeling construction equipment and shut the door behind them. It's go time. They approach the vault and start Drilling through the concrete wall that protects. And as you may have guessed, this isn't your average group of retirees. Many of these men have decades of experience committing high stakes robberies. Until recently, most of them were ready to wind down and live quietly, including Brian, who had promised to leave crime behind almost three decades ago. But a few years ago, Brian's beloved wife passed away. His own health is failing and he can't stop reminiscing about the good old days. At 76, Brian feels like he has nothing more to lose. So he's rallied together this ragtag team of aging ex cons with a proposition. Why not come out of retirement for one last job? Oh boy.

[Sachi Kol]

Brian's getting the team back together. I am watching this movie.

[Sarah Hagie]

Brian and his friends have spent the last few years plotting this heist in a local pub. And now it's actually happening. He feels that familiar thrill as he watches the drill bore into the concrete wall. But a lot has changed since Brian left these schemes behind in the 80s. And now he's betting everything that he and his crew can pull this off and walk away. Not just with a retirement fund, but with their freedom. Have you ever found a $20bill in your jeans when you weren't expecting it?

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[Nick Cannon]

It's your man, Nick Cannon, and I'm here to bring you my new podcast, Nick Cannon at Night. Every week, I'm bringing out some of my celebrity friends and the best at experts in the business to answer your most intimate relationship questions. So don't be shy, join the conversation and head over to YouTube to watch Nick Cannon at Night or subscribe on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcast.

[Sarah Hagie]

From Wondery, I'm Sarah Hagie.

[Sachi Kol]

And I'm Sachi Kolf.

[Sarah Hagie]

And this is Scamfluencers. Come and give me your attention. I won't ever learn my lessons. From my speakers to 11, I feel like a legend in the UK the 60s through the 80s was a golden era for career criminals. These years were marked by organized heists and high profile robberies all planned out by seasoned thieves and obsessed over by tabloid media. But as security systems and surveillance technology improved, these ocean's 11 style crimes all but disappeared. But in the 2010s, a crew of aging criminals decided to they weren't done yet. Armed with decades of experience and a shared goal, they plotted one last job. If they could outsmart modern technology and stay ahead of the law, they might just walk away with millions and ride off into the sunset. This is Brian Reeder and the diamond, the geriatric jewel thieves legend. To get Brian's full origin story we have to go back to 1950 to a courtroom in London. The thief on is a 4 1/2 foot tall 11 year old boy. Yes, it's Brian. He's got a mop of brown hair and wide blue eyes and he remains stone faced as his verdict is read. Brian's found guilty of robbing five stores and sentenced to 12 months of conditional discharge. So he's free to go, but with a warning to stay out of trouble because next time they won't be so forgiving. This is Brian's first conviction and his crime wasn't out of passion but necessity. He was stealing cans of tinned fruit to eat. Brian and his three younger siblings are growing up in poverty in South London. His father's a truck driver with a history of criminal behavior including stealing from shipping containers at his job. So it's not a total shock that Brian becomes a thief himself. And when his father suddenly abandons them a few years later, Brian, as the eldest sibling feels the weight of providing for the rest of his family. He leaves school as a teenager to work odd jobs around town, including at a butcher shop and working for the British railway. But in 1958, Brian finds himself back in London's criminal court. And this time he's 18, an adult in the eyes of the law. His crimes are more serious too. He's being tried for burglary and for inflicting crime, grievous bodily harm with intent. While we don't know the details of the actual robbery, we do know his spoils were about five pounds from a tea shop which is equal to 150 pounds. Today, he's found guilty. But once again, the judge decides to be lenient and spares him from jail time.

[Sachi Kol]

I feel like we have a lot of these stories, Sarah, on this show where somebody is, like, forced into adulthood way too early, and it kind of sets them off of this, like, brutal path of having to, like, trick the system because it's the only way they're going to survive.

[Sarah Hagie]

Yeah. And I mean, clearly they're realizing at a very early age life is not fair.

[Sachi Kol]

Yes.

[Sarah Hagie]

This conviction is a real wake up call for Brian. In that year, he really kicks things into shape when he signs up for national service with the British military. He spends a year working as an engineer and learns how to handle a gun and work with a team on a shared goal. In 1963, when Brian is 24 years old, he marries a bookmaker's assistant named Lynn. Brian's been working as a truck driver just like his dad, but he and Lynn are about to start a family, and that is expensive. Brian's continued to dabble with petty crime and theft in recent years, and he's been fined for possessing weapons and stolen goods. Now, with kids on the way, he decides it's time to lean in. He might as well commit to committing crimes, and he can use the skills the army gave him to launch a proper criminal career. This time around, Brian is determined to approach his life of crime with a bit more sophistication. He loves scheming and problem solving, skills that come in handy when you want to become a criminal mastermind. And it's worth remembering that around this time, the culture of organized crime in London is downright glamorous. Criminal gangs are constantly in the tabloids and often getting the better of law enforcement. Brian is set on joining their ranks. And Brian knows just who to turn to for help establishing himself. An old friend he met after his time in the army named Bill Barrett. A career criminal a decade older than Brian. Bill is happy to give his friend a crash course on crime. Bill teaches Brian how to pick locks, crack safes, and leave a crime scene without getting caught. And by the mid-1960s, when Brian is still in his 20s, he's built an entourage that includes a safecracker, a locksmith, and an alarm expert. The crowd he runs with avoids violence at all costs, mainly targets institutions, views lockpicking and breaking and entering as a rarefied skill, and loves their families above all else. It's still crime, but with a strict code of honor. With his new skills and friends, Brian starts pulling off the Kinds of crimes that could really bankroll his life heists.

[Sachi Kol]

I know I shouldn't find crime cool.

[Sarah Hagie]

It's in movies for a reason.

[Sachi Kol]

This is the coolest kind of crime. A heist is cool, and I don't make the rules and I'm not proud of it, but this is cool.

[Sarah Hagie]

Well, you know, if the government built more community, if there had been a.

[Sachi Kol]

Community center where Brian grew up, this would not have happened.

[Sarah Hagie]

You know, he wouldn't have to turn to heist to build community. So, you know, think about that.

[Sachi Kol]

Think about that.

[Sarah Hagie]

But at home, Brian is just dad. In his free time, he goes camping with his wife and two kids and even holds some regular jobs to throw the cops off his trail. He ran a jewelry wholesaler and sold fine art. But behind the scenes, Brian is involved in some seriously ambitious heists. In the early 70s, when Brian is 32, the police start to suspect that he's part of a recent massive heist in London. In that job, a crew stole somewhere between half a million and three million pounds worth of goods from a bank vault. But Brian was never arrested. To this day, some people believe he actually masterminded the heist, but there's never been enough evidence to confirm it. At one point in the early 80s, Brian is arrested on suspicion of several robberies. But he's got two young kids and no interest in going to jail. So when he's out on bail, Brian and Lin take their family and move to the south of Spain, because Britain and Spain don't have an extradition treaty at this time. Zachi, take a look at a picture of Brian from around this time. Could you please describe it? He's very beach boys.

[Sachi Kol]

He's wearing a little bathing suit with his two kids and they all look very happy. And he's tanned. It looks like he's having a great time.

[Sarah Hagie]

Yeah, he looks like regular guy, just a dad. Well, after a couple of years of crisscrossing the continent, Lynn is homesick. She just wants to be a regular housewife, to tend to a garden and raise her kids in peace. So they decide to return to the uk. Ryan is acquitted of the robbery, but serves about a year in prison for skipping bail. Once he gets out, he goes back to selling jewelry until he gets a call from one of his old criminal buddies who just pulled off a crime so brazen it made headlines for decades. It's an early morning in November of 1983 at a warehouse near Heathrow Airport. While Brian was away on a police evading vacation, a different gang of British criminals is about to carry out their own heist. Tony Black, a warehouse security guard, runs across the parking lot to meet his co workers who look annoyed. His shift was supposed to start 10 minutes ago, but he slept through his alarm. On a regular day, this might not be such a big deal, but today, every minute matters. Tony is a thin man with a long angular face and a giant bushy mustache. He's Basically the most 1983 looking man on earth. He's been working as the inside man for a gang of burglars who planned to carry out a heist at this very warehouse. Tony's never been involved in anything like this before, but he was intrigued when the gang approached him, particularly since his wife's brother is one of the guys masterminding the heist. I guess helping your brother in law rob your place of work is one way of getting your in laws to like you.

[Sachi Kol]

Listen.

[Sarah Hagie]

Oh, no. Three, two, one. Divorce.

[Sachi Kol]

That's not what I was gonna say for once.

[Sarah Hagie]

Okay, okay, go.

[Sachi Kol]

Listen, some of us are trying to.

[Sarah Hagie]

Do some guerrilla marketing over here.

[Sachi Kol]

What I was gonna say is that if I ever did get remarried, one condition would be that anything my family asks of him, including crime, needs to be done. He has to do it, no questions asked. It's the opposite of divorce, if anything.

[Sarah Hagie]

Yes, and because of double jeopardy laws.

[Sachi Kol]

Yeah, because of double jeopardy, you can't get tried, which is a rule I definitely understand in a movie I've seen. Neither of us can get in trouble.

[Sarah Hagie]

Well, Tony told the robbers that the warehouse holds cash and valuables worth up to £3 million. And he gave them information in advance about the security system and the number of guards. Today he has one last job. Letting them into the building. He walks to a warehouse window and raises a handkerchief to his face. At his signal, six men jump out of a blue van wearing ski masks and wielding guns. The robbers hold up their guns and demand to be let into the building. Tony lets them in as planned. He watches his co workers get their hands bound together with rope to keep up the ruse. The burglars tie Tony up as well and mock threaten him. Then one of the robbers douses gasoline on the workers and pulls out a match, threatening to light it if the police show up. Tony tries to hide his alarm because while he knew the robbers were coming, this all feels way more real and terrifying than he expected. Ooh.

[Sachi Kol]

Yeah, I don't like this part. Okay, the crime is no longer fun, and now it is scary.

[Sarah Hagie]

Sarah. Yes. The robbers rifle through what's in the vault but it's not what they expected. It's better. The robbers thought they'd get £3 million worth of valuables. Instead, they managed to nab three three and a half tons of pure gold, valued at £26 million. In today's money, that's over $130 million. The robbers load their van with so much gold that the weight of it makes the tire sag. Tony watches them drive away with more gold than they know what to do with. The story makes international headlines, and to this day, it's one of the most notorious criminal heists in history. Here's a clip from the cbc.

[News Reporter/Archive Audio]

In Britain, the world's biggest peacetime robbery ever, the giant robbery was fast and ruthless. Police are said to be still baffled by the speed and ease of the robbery. Police do not rule out the possibility that this mob may have organized a getaway just as efficient as the robbery itself.

[Sarah Hagie]

Now that they've fled the warehouse, they'll need help from other criminals to move all this gold they've unexpectedly acquired. And when Brian catches wind of the heist, he'll be all too eager to lend a helping hand. Not long after he's released from prison, Brian hears from Kenny Noye, a British career criminal who runs in his same circles. Kenny is like a cartoon crime boss. He lives in a massive mansion where at some point he let a pet lion roam the yard to intimidate people. His doorbell even plays the theme song from Goldfinger, which I feel like is something you would do.

[Sachi Kol]

I don't even think I know what the theme from Goldfinger is.

[Sarah Hagie]

If you knew it, you would do it if you were a boss. Yeah, you're right. We can make that happen. Okay, we can make it happen. We'll talk later. All right. Well, Kenny wasn't a part of the Heathrow heist, but he's helping the robbers turn their unexpected gold haul into mountains of cash. And he could use a hand. Brian's excited to be part of such a huge crime and agrees to help get the gold melted down and dispersed so police can't trace it. Their plan actually works at. But around early 1985, about a year after the heist, police become convinced that Kenny is involved somehow. An undercover officer is sent to his house to spy on him one night, and Brian happens to be there. The two men are chatting when suddenly Kenny swears he sees someone lurking in his garden. So he grabs a knife and goes out to investigate. We don't know exactly what went down with the three men, but. But we do know the Night ended with Kenny stabbing the undercover officer to death. And since Brian was present, they're both arrested and put on trial for murder. Brian's been in the papers before for smaller crimes, but now his notoriety skyrockets. After Kenny murdered the policeman, Brian's photo was all over the tabloids. And this conviction only creates more buzz. Brian's family isn't spared either. His beloved wife Lynn is held in police custody for a time, and she's constantly getting mentioned and photographed in the papers. Here's a picture of Lynn at one of Brian's trials with their son.

[Sachi Kol]

You know, it's one thing to be the heist guy, but now it's like a murder charge, much scarier. I feel bad for his family. This photo of his wife, she just looks like she's just been dragged through the mud.

[Sarah Hagie]

Yeah. And you know, people think being married to a handsome criminal seems glamorous. But in an interview, Lynn says she's tired of constantly being on the run from the law and of being at the center of a media frenzy. Brian and Kenny are acquitted of the police officer's murder. Kenny claims he acted in self defense, and Brian says he wasn't present when the stabbing occurred. But it's a huge scandal. And even though they're found not guilty of murder, police are still suspicious they had something to do with the gold heist. So they placed the men under constant surveillance. And when Brian and Kenny are spotted trading suspicious looking packages, they finally get brought in. About six months later, Brian is sentenced to nine years in prison for his role in handling the stolen gold from the Heathrow robbery. Brian started his criminal career to make his family's life easier. But he's gotten too swept up and it's now only making their lives harder. So at age 47, Brian decides to live an honest life for the sake of his family. But in a few decades, life is going to kick Brian while he's down. And when he hears the siren song of crime calling to him again, he will not be able to resist. Fall is in full swing, and it's the perfect time to refresh your wardrobe with pieces that feel as good as they look. Luckily, Quint makes it easy to look polished, stay warm, and save big without compromising on quality.

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[Sarah Hagie]

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[Sarah Hagie]

I feel like it's the early 2010s, about 25 years since Brian decided to give up crime. He's now in his 70s and is doing a crossword at his home in Kent, about an hour outside of London. Brian's always loved crossword puzzles, but lately his heart isn't in it instead of filling out the right answers, he's writing his wife's name over and over in the little squares. After his release from prison in the 90s, Brian opened a used car dealership with his son and lived a quiet life alongside his beloved wife, Lynn. But two years ago, Lynn died from cancer and Brian has been struggling without her.

[Sachi Kol]

Sarah, this is so sad.

[Sarah Hagie]

I know.

[Sachi Kol]

I'm confident he didn't treat her right, but I'm so upset about this.

[Sarah Hagie]

Yeah, it's sad. It's really sad.

[Sachi Kol]

Okay.

[Sarah Hagie]

And he spent so much time in prison that I'm sure.

[Sachi Kol]

It's like they lost so much time.

[Sarah Hagie]

Yeah, it's loaded. Well, Brian Pick picks up a book about a famous diamond theft and takes mental notes as he reads. Because this isn't just light reading, it's research. Around this time, Brian's been using his free senior bus pass to visit London's historic Hatton Garden district, which is the center of the UK's diamond and jewelry trade. Throughout the early 1900s, heists and organized crime in Hatton Garden were rampant. But they slowed down as security tech improved and precious jewels were stowed in deposit boxes specifically designed to keep thieves away. Back when these deposit boxes were built in the 1940s, they were famously indestructible. We actually have a news bulletin about the vault from 1949.

[News Reporter/Archive Audio]

To foil the thieves, Hatton Garden now has its own giant strong room available to every jewel merchant in the district. Constructed at a cost of more than £20,000, a two foot wide bomb and burglar proof door operated by a combination that has to be worked by at least two men opens up a labyrinth of safes.

[Sachi Kol]

This is classic part of a heist movie. They gotta get through the impenetrable door. But this is also the scariest part of the heist movie. What if they get trapped in the impenetrable door?

[Sarah Hagie]

But our lads love a puzzle. Sachi. Brian spent decades working as a professional fence in the area, meaning he was moving and selling stolen goods. He knows the district well and has always thought it would be the perfect place for a heist. With modern equipment like high tech drills and the right crew, Brian thinks he might be able to access the stowed away goods. He also knows that the stuff down there is so valuable, it could easily fund the retirement of a lot of people. Like his old heist buddies. Many of them are in debt or struggling with severe medical issues of their own. They could all use a hobby and the payout that comes with it. Which is why he recently got the heist gang back together to pull off what might be Brian's most audacious scheme yet. It's a Friday night in late 2012 at the castle pub in north London, About a mile away from Hatton garden. In the back corner, four elderly men are catching up over pints and fish and chips. But they're not having the kind of conversation you might expect from a group of aging pub goers. They've been invited here by Brian to discuss the heist that could give them the retirement they think they deserve. Terry Perkins sips his beer and smiles. Like most of his friends, his thin hair has gone fully white. He spent his youth doing this kind of thing, Sitting around with fellow criminals and planning high profile crimes. But then, on his 35th birthday, Terry helped carry out one of Britain's biggest heists, during which he doused a bank employee in gasoline and shook matches in his face.

[Sachi Kol]

Okay, so this is the event from earlier where he douses someone in gasoline and the crime goes from sexy movie heist to scary, scary crime.

[Sarah Hagie]

Yes, exactly. I mean, it definitely was a very crazy thing to do. And at Terry's trial, the judge called him ruthless and evil and sentenced him to 22 years in prison. But he didn't serve his full sentence. He escaped from prison after 10 years and spent 17 years evading the law by moving in with his mom and living a quiet suburban life in Enfield, a town in north London. When he finally got caught earlier this year, he was sent back to prison for a few months. Before he was released, the courts decided he'd served enough time and was no longer a threat to society. Now, at 64 years old, Terry is finally square with the law for a crime he committed three decades ago. So of course, he's ready to do it all over again. When Brian reached out with his idea for one last heist, he, Terry figured, why not? Plus, this job was big time. If they pulled it off, they'd cement themselves as legends.

[Sachi Kol]

That's the trailer that's going in the trailer.

[Sarah Hagie]

Also, like, dude, you escaped prison and didn't get caught for so long, and you still want to do something crazy?

[Sachi Kol]

Men love to push their luck. That's really what they're known for.

[Sarah Hagie]

That's actually a really big deal to escape from prison and not get caught.

[Sachi Kol]

It is.

[Sarah Hagie]

And then to not really have to go to prison again.

[Sachi Kol]

Well, he's here to squander it.

[Sarah Hagie]

Ugh, I wish they had a community center. Well, Terry listens closely as another man at the table, Danny Jones, talks About the research he's been doing into drills. If they want to break into an underground security deposit vault protected by a 20 inch thick concrete wall, they'll need a way to bust through it. Danny is eccentric to say the least. He's the youngest of the bunch, a spry 57 years old and a fitness nut obsessed with palm reading. He likes to wear a fez and swears he's got psychic powers. But Terry has to admit Danny knows his stuff. He's been involved in burglaries for decades and he's an expert on breaking and entering. The fourth Heist member is 72 year old John Collins, who will act as the gang's lookout. John has thin white hair, rectangular framed glasses and often wears a button down shirt. He's made millions scalping sports tickets. Over the course of a few meetings like this one, a rough shape of the heist has started to form. All under Brian's direction. By the way, you know how all these cool old timey crime bosses had nicknames?

[Sachi Kol]

Yep, 100%.

[Sarah Hagie]

Brian has one too. Everyone calls him Ready the gov'. Nah.

[Sachi Kol]

You know, I gotta respect how these.

[Sarah Hagie]

Men have really figured out entertainment. They're giving us what we want. They're giving us what we want. They're British men at a pub.

[Sachi Kol]

Yeah.

[Sarah Hagie]

Planning the little iced over fish and chips.

[Sachi Kol]

Yeah, this is the Real Housewives, but for men of a certain age and of a certain demographic for sure.

[Sarah Hagie]

And Brian's the gov'. Na.

[Sachi Kol]

He literally couldn't write it because people would laugh.

[Sarah Hagie]

Well, the plan's starting to come together. For the next two years, the men continue to meet almost every Friday at this same pub to plan. They divide the jobs up between the four of them. Ryan is responsible for planning and going into the safe. Danny will deal with the drill. John will be the lookout and getaway driver. And Terry will make sure everyone gets into and out of the building safely. A few other guys will help them out as they get closer to the heist, and including a reclusive security system expert, everyone just calls Basil. Then in 2015, it's time. But when they finally make it to the diamond vault, they'll have to try to withstand the pressure. It's the Thursday night before Easter weekend, 2015. Brian is riding the bus into London at 8:19pm The Vault staff will lock up for the night ahead of the long weekend and they won't be back until Tuesday. The first person inside is Basil, the electronics expert. He enters the building through the front door using a set of keys and disarms the alarm system. He then goes to the basement and opens a fire escape door. The team saunters into the building, lugging equipment in bags and on wheeling carts. Most of them are wearing hi vis gear, hoping to pass off as construction workers. They're all armed with walkie talkies so they can communicate without cell phone signals placing them at the scene. Soon, the five of them are standing in the courtyard of the building. Ryan looks over at Terry, who's opening a bag filled with his insulin. He's brought three days worth of his medication because the job could possibly take the entire weekend.

[Sponsor/Ad Host]

I guess when I think about a.

[Sachi Kol]

Lot of these sorts of crimes or when you think about people stealing something like this in a very physical way, I never think of it as like a long weekend with my buddies where I have to pack and, like, prepare to be in it for days.

[Sarah Hagie]

Yeah, I know. And these are old dudes. They have medication they need to be taking.

[Sachi Kol]

He needs his insulin.

[Sarah Hagie]

Next, they bypass a door in the courtyard with two sliding bolt locks, followed by an airlock, and both of which they manage. Finally, there's only one thing standing between them and the vault. The 20 inch concrete wall. Danny Jones positions the massive, quiet, state of the art drill he spent years researching on YouTube and gets to drilling. Two and a half hours later, they've finally done it. They've drilled a big enough opening through the wall to crawl through. Now for the last step. Their path into the vault is blocked by a metal cabinet, so they need to knock the cabinet down with a battering ram. But as a few of the men start heaving the ram, Brian's stomach sinks. Something is wrong. The cabinet isn't falling over. They suddenly realize it's screwed to both the floor and ceiling so they can't knock it over. And just when it can't get any worse, the tool they're using breaks.

[Sachi Kol]

This always happens in the movies, and I am really stressed about how our ragtag team of elderly men are gonna get out of this.

[Sarah Hagie]

Yeah, it's really rough because it's like they have so much time technically, but.

[Sachi Kol]

Also none at all.

[Sarah Hagie]

None at all. You know, just like life.

[Sachi Kol]

Wow.

[Sarah Hagie]

Which has passed them by. And you know.

[Sachi Kol]

Okay, one thing at a time.

[Sarah Hagie]

Well, Brian watches as the crew starts brainstorming ideas. It's already been hours and it's almost morning. Finally, someone says what no one wants to admit. If they're going to finish the job, they have to leave and come back tomorrow. They need a beat to plot their next move and replace their broken Equipment. This is too much for Brian. He spent a lifetime pulling off jobs while rarely getting caught. The idea of leaving and coming back in the middle of a job is too big a risk for him. But no one listens to him. The crew is too determined to give up now. Brian shrugs. In that case, they'll have to do it without him. He's out.

[Sachi Kol]

It feels like it's maybe too late for him to say that he's out. Frankly, yeah. I don't totally buy that he could walk away from this even if he wants to. I think spiritually I don't think he's going to get to be done.

[Sarah Hagie]

No, of course. Brian leaves the building and walks into the early morning light towards the bus station. He decided he won't be coming back, but it might be too late. His friends aren't giving up, but in their rush to finish the job they started, they just might leave behind a trail of breadcrumbs. It's the evening of Saturday, April 4, two days after the first heist attempt and Terry Perkins is pulling back up for attempt number two. The boys took Friday off to plot and scheme, and this morning a few of the crew members went to a store called Machine Mart to replace their broken equipment. Now they repeat the same steps as the other night. Dressed in hi vis gear, they bring their equipment into the building in wheelie bins. Another member of the heist has followed Brian's lead and quit. But as far as Terry's concerned, they're both missing out and he's excited to prove Brian wrong. At long last, the crew knocks the cabinet down and finally the path is clear. They can now enter the Vault through a 10 by 18 inch hole in the wall. Tech expert Basil and palm reader Danny manage to squeeze into the hole and wiggle their way into the vault. We actually have a picture of the hole they drilled. Sachi, can you describe it?

[Sachi Kol]

It's so big. I guess I didn't think about how.

[Sarah Hagie]

Big it would be.

[Sachi Kol]

Obviously it has to fit like an adult man through it, but it's huge. And also the thickness of the concrete.

[Sarah Hagie]

That they had to dig through. So crazy.

[Sachi Kol]

It is cartoonish. I can't understand even how they did it.

[Sarah Hagie]

In my mind I was picturing kind of like a wrecking ball type of.

[Sachi Kol]

Like, like a Looney Tune.

[Sarah Hagie]

It looks like someone just like sliced through the wall.

[Sachi Kol]

Basically it looks like someone took a.

[Sarah Hagie]

Bite out of it. It' crazy. What is possible with friends, you know? Well, the next step is to smash the security deposit boxes with sledgehammers. And stuff their contents into bags, which they'll pass through the wall to Terry. As Terry grabs bags full of cash, diamonds, gold and other precious jewels, he wishes he could take a selfie to rub it in Brian's face. The whole crew is proud that they defied the expectations of those who jumped ship. But with almost half of their crew missing, they're not able to steal nearly as much as they wanted to. They had hoped to empty nearly 1,000 boxes, but in the end only managed to open 73. Finally, at around 6am on Easter Sunday, the crew is done. They leave their power tools and the mess of empty deposit boxes behind. The men emerge from the building wheeling a bin full of loot, and it's so heavy that Terry has to stop and catch his breath multiple times. The three thieves hop into John's car and he gives them all a ride home. As Terry walks into his house with a bag full of gold and jewels, he feels good, if a little winded. He's proud of himself for following through despite the obstacles. But when the crew pivoted from their carefully laid plans, they got a little sloppy. And though Terry doesn't know it yet, the very car that just dropped him off will soon point investigators straight to their door.

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[Sarah Hagie]

Thanks.

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[Lawless Planet Narrator]

How hard is it to kill a planet? Maybe all it takes is a little drilling, some mining, and a whole lot of carbon pumped into the atmosphere. When you see what's left, it starts to look like a crime scene.

[Sarah Hagie]

Are we really safe? Is our water safe? You destroyed our tap.

[Lawless Planet Narrator]

And crimes like that, they don't just happen.

[Sachi Kol]

We call things accidents.

[Shopify Sponsor Voice]

There is no accident.

[Sachi Kol]

This was 100% preventable.

[Lawless Planet Narrator]

They're the result of choices by people. Ruthless oil tycoons, corrupt politicians, even organized crime. These are the stories we need to be telling about our changes planet. Stories of scams, murders and coverups that are about us and the things we're doing to either protect the earth or destroy it. Follow Lawless Planet on the Wondry app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to new episodes of Lawless Planet early and ad free right now by joining Wondry plus in the Wondry app, Apple podcasts or Spotify.

[Sarah Hagie]

I feel like a legend. It's the Tuesday after Easter in London. The four day weekend is done and Kelvin Stockwell, the head of security at the Hatton Garden safety deposit vault, is heading into work. He's a bald, elderly man with wire glasses and a long face. Calvin has had this job for 20 years, but as soon as he walks in, he knows today will be different. Because one of his co workers immediately runs up and says, we've been robbed. Kelvin feels sick. On Thursday night, he actually got called into work. The security alarm had gone off briefly and he was asked to make sure everything was okay. So he showed up to the building and looked through the windows. From the street, everything looked fine. There was no sign of anyone inside. Kelvin had been told to wait for police to show up to investigate the incident. For his own safety, he's not allowed to enter the building without backup. Here's how he explains it in a BBC interview the year after the heist.

[News Reporter/Archive Audio]

I could have walked in and I don't know what would have happened to me. I could have got clumped across the head or got tied up, whatever. So that's why the policy was you don't go in on your own.

[Sachi Kol]

Yeah, that makes sense. I probably wouldn't go in sight unseen either.

[Sarah Hagie]

Also, like, that's not my stuff. I'm not gonna risk my life for.

[Sachi Kol]

Other people's stuff for somebody else's things.

[Sarah Hagie]

Pass ye. But the police never showed up. They assumed it was a false alarm, so Calvin went home. Now, as Calvin descends into the basement, it's clear that this was very much not a false alarm. Whoever pulled this off disabled the security system, but they didn't do a good job and a signal was still sent out. If the police hadn't ignored it, they would have caught the thieves red handed. As they drilled through the concrete wall, Calvin calls the police and they actually show up. This time, they descend into the vault together and that's when they see the disaster they'd ignored over the weekend. As investigators start looking through the crime scene, they say that despite the mess, it's meticulous. There's not a single fingerprint or piece of DNA left behind. As the story makes headlines, people start calling it the perfect crime. But Calvin knows that thieves made at least one mistake by failing to properly disable the alarm. Now he's hopeful the police will uncover others. Soon, investigators will Start unraveling the threads that the burglars left behind. And when they turn to CCTV footage, all signs will point straight to our aging crew members. It's late May 2015, almost two months after the heist. Brian is having a quiet morning in the home he shares with his adult son. Though Brian left his heist mates in the lurch, everyone's forgiven him and allowed him back into the fold. After all, while he might have buckled in the heat of the moment, he's still the gov' Nuh and the reason the heist happened in the first place. The crew is back to regular Friday night pints at the Castle pub. And now they're onto the next phase of their crime, figuring out how to liquidate the gold and jewels they stole into untraceable cash. Brian and his friends have enjoyed watching the police and journalists puzzle over who could have carried out such a sophisticated heist. British tabloid culture hasn't really changed since the 80s and people are all over the details of this robbery. The story has become a national sensation, with much of the British public actually rooting for the burglars and antagonizing the police for ignoring the burglar alarm. Brian's main concern now is planning how he'll spend his new retirement fund. His health has taken a turn for the worst. He's been diagnosed with cancer and is eager to live out his last years without having to worry about work or money. Suddenly, there's a banging at the door. A loud voice announces that it's the police. Brian's dreams of retirement vanish as he walks to the door. The police barge in and arrest him. And Brian knows that across the city, his friends are probably getting the exact same unpleasant house visits. But to his surprise, the police aren't done. They also arrest his 51 year old son, Paul.

[Sachi Kol]

This guy really ties his family into these little crimes of his, doesn't he? He, like, can't help but implicate the people around him, which is the biggest tragedy feels like.

[Sarah Hagie]

I mean, I would assume his son was involved if I was investigating this, you know?

[Sachi Kol]

Yeah.

[Sarah Hagie]

Over the past two months, police have followed a series of clues that have led them there. After the group split off, the remaining burglars had to use John's car to get home instead of the untraceable van they were supposed to use. And CCTV footage caught his license plate. And while they were all careful to use walkie talkies during the heist itself, they talked on their cell phones before and after. That's actually why they're arresting Brian's son. Since Brian doesn't own a cell phone he's been borrowing, Paul's leading the police to believe he was involved, which might actually be the most classically boomer detail in this whole heist. Brian could crack safes, but he couldn't navigate a smartphone without a bit of help from his kid. Luckily, the charges against Paul are quickly dropped.

[Sachi Kol]

This is something my dad would do. I feel like he would hand me his phone and be like, I can't figure out this app. And then the next minute I know I'm being arrested for some like, weird scam.

[Sarah Hagie]

Yeah. And you know what? The detail of them having the walkie talkies to me was so much smarter than many of the criminals we cover that. I'm so shocked that they made these little tiny mistakes, which must be the worst part of all of this.

[Sachi Kol]

Yeah.

[Sarah Hagie]

Just two things that had to be different for them to not get caught at all.

[Sachi Kol]

So close to getting away with it.

[Sarah Hagie]

And also, over the past few weeks, unbeknownst to them, the heist crew's been under surveillance by undercover cops who've been watching and filming their every move. Most damningly, they film Brian, Terry and Danny drinking at the Castle pub. And they listen in as Terry excitedly describes the parts of the heist Brian missed. We actually have a short clip of some of the footage they caught. Sachi, could you please tell us what happens?

[Sachi Kol]

Classic London. Three old white men wearing their little jackets and their button up shirts sitting at the pub. And one of them is like wildly gesticulating as if he is the drill, showing them how they broke in.

[Sarah Hagie]

This is so endearing, it's crazy.

[Sachi Kol]

Very charming, extremely cute.

[Sarah Hagie]

Unfortunately, it's truly like, oh, yeah, this is one of my friend's dads. They're literally just old guys.

[Sachi Kol]

They're just old guys talking about the thing that they love, which is drills.

[Sarah Hagie]

Well, Terry, Danny and Kenny are at Terry's daughter's house when the police launch their raid. Unfortunately for the thieves, they catch the three men in a damning act melting several million dollars worth of gold they stole. When the police raid the other burglars houses, they find Brian's many books on the diamond market and a copy of Forensics for Dummies that Danny was apparently studying very closely. After the thieves are brought in, they all try to play dumb and pretend to not know each other. But when they're shown the mounting evidence against them, they give up the fight. When heist member John Collins is asked if he wants bail, he just shrugs. And says, I'd rather have a cup of tea. After a long criminal career, Ryan and his friends have been nabbed again, this time for good. After the thieves are arrested in early 2015, their identities are revealed and the British public becomes even more obsessed with them than before. The nonviolent and borderline silly nature of the crime and the fact that the suspects have an average age of 63 makes people feel affectionately towards the heist crew. They're given a variety of nicknames by the newspapers and tabloids. Diamond Old Geezers, Diamond Weezers, and Dad's army, to name a few. In 2016, due to the sheer volume of evidence against them, our four core heisters, Brian, Terry, John, and Danny, all plead guilty. Brian is sentenced to six years, while the rest of his conspirators get seven. Brian gets less time due to his worsening health. He suffered a stroke while in custody. In 2018, Brian is released from jail after serving just a third of his sentence, and he's left to tend to his failing health at home. He dies in 2024 at the age of 84. In the many obituaries that follow, the press call him the last gentleman criminal. The poster child for a bygone era of British heists and generally non violent organized crime. The Diamond Weezers are remembered as some of the most beloved and bizarre criminals in British history. History. And someone even hung an unofficial heritage plaque, the classic blue sign to note British places of importance on their old corner booth of the Castle pub. Though Brian Reader spent his life trying to stay away from crime, it was ultimately his calling. Maybe it was just what he was meant to do. And if nothing else, while he and his friends may have gotten caught, they got to enjoy a few and end their final act with a bang. Sachi, you know, this is one of those episodes where people who think we're too critical of white men can easily listen and know if you are doing it right, we're on your side. Yeah.

[Sachi Kol]

Listen, there are lots of things white men do that I abide by. They just don't do them that often.

[Sarah Hagie]

Yes. And this is one of those things where you're like, okay, this was ultimately kind of awesome. Yeah, great.

[Sachi Kol]

Crime, virtually victimless, almost.

[Sarah Hagie]

Not quite. Oh, but there's one person who is definitely shaken up by the threat of being burned alive.

[Sachi Kol]

I don't abide by that one. And also all their children and their families. But the crime is very cool and very well done. And I'm sorry, I just think they should have gotten away with it.

[Sarah Hagie]

I think they should have been like, you know what? These old men are working so hard to defy expectations, to defy ageism. And, you know, it is the police's fault. They could have caught them in the act and they decided to not go and check. So in my mind, I'm kind of like, you know, that's their fault.

[Sachi Kol]

Yeah. This is actually a story about ageism. All these people underestimated these old men, didn't think they could do it, and they did it.

[Sarah Hagie]

Yes. And it's kind of like Doris Payne, right? She's an elderly woman, black woman, who stole for her entire life doing little cat burglar type things. She also used her age and race to her advantage in a way that people were not suspecting her of certain things. And these guys were so smart.

[Sachi Kol]

I think we have learned that there are lots of things we can use to our advantage if other people don't see us clearly because we are older or younger or black or white or whatever it is.

[Sarah Hagie]

To me, I'm also like, you didn't have to do this at all. You did it for the love of the game. They loved the puzzles. They love the camaraderie. They had something to gather around at the pub every Friday night for this. You know what I mean? Like, men don't talk to each other. They need something. Sachi, do you think they did this because they needed an excuse to hang out and be around each other or because they had, like, demons they were fighting and needed to go to therapy?

[Sachi Kol]

I mean, I think both is probably true. I think most men could benefit from some talk therapy, but I do think these guys just really needed community and maybe didn't know how to do it. And so this is, like, a way to do that.

[Sarah Hagie]

Yes.

[Sachi Kol]

These guys just wanted to, like, bully around each other at the pub, but there wasn't a reason to do that, and they needed a project and nobody told them to just, like, go make boats in little bottles or something.

[Sarah Hagie]

Yep.

[Sachi Kol]

Maybe the lesson today is for men.

[Sarah Hagie]

Hey, guys, join a rec league.

[Sachi Kol]

Make friends with somebody in your neighborhood. Talk to a stranger.

[Sarah Hagie]

Yeah.

[Sachi Kol]

If you don't want to deal with your inner demons, you can do crime, but it has to be a cool crime.

[Sarah Hagie]

It has to be a cool crime. It has to be, you know, something that there's clearly, like, you know, you're a bit of a Robin Hood. Who knows if they're gonna do the fuck? I bet they were gonna keep it. If you're gonna do a heist, listen, I don't want you a part of it, but give me some of the spoils. Why not?

[Sachi Kol]

Yeah, come on. Redistribute these funds.

[Sarah Hagie]

One day it will work.

[Sponsor/Ad Host]

Loving scamflancers get exclusive episodes and early access to new ones. All ad free on Wondry Plus. Join now in the Wondry app, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Before you go, help us out by taking a quick [e-mail] survey.

[Sarah Hagie]

This is Brian Reeder and the diamond the Geriatric jewel thieves. I'm Sarah Hagke.

[Sachi Kol]

And I'm Sachi Kol.

[Sarah Hagie]

If you have a tip for us.

[Sachi Kol]

On a story that you think we should cover, please email [e-mail] we use many sources in our research.

[Sarah Hagie]

A few that were particularly helpful were.

[Sachi Kol]

The Last Bad Grandpas and the Hatton Garden Heist by Dan Bilevsky Hatton Garden how an Old School Working Class Criminal's Swan Song Came Together by Vikram Dodd for the Guardian How a Ragtag Gang of Retirees Pulled off the Biggest Jewel Heist in British History by Mark Steele for Vanish Fair and one last the Inside Story of the Hatton Garden Heist by Duncan Campbell for the Guardian.

[Sarah Hagie]

Gabrielle Jolie wrote this episode. Additional writing by us, Sachi Cole and Sarah Hagie. Olivia Briley is our story editor. Fact checking by Meredith Clark Sound design by James Morgan Additional audio assistance provided by Augustine Lim. Our music supervisor is Scott Velasquez. For Freeson Sync. Our managing producer is Desi Blaloff. Our senior managing producer is Callum Plews. Janine Cornello and Stephanie Jens are our development producers. Our associate producer is Charlotte Miller. Our producer is Julia McGruder. Our senior producers are Sarah Enny and Ginny Blume. Our executive producers are Jenny Lauer, Beckman, Marshall Louie and Erin o'. Flaherty. For Wondery Foreign.

[Nick Cannon]

It's your man, Nick Cannon and I'm here to bring you my new podcast, Nick Cannon at Night. I've heard y' all been needing some advice in the love department, so who better to help than yours truly? Nah, I'm serious. Every week I'm bringing out some of my celebrity friends and the best experts in the business to answer your most intimate relationship questions. Having problems with your man? We got you catching feelings for your sneaky link. Let's make sure it's the real deal first. Ready to bring toys into the bedroom? Let's talk about it. Consider this a non judgment zone to ask your questions when it comes to sex and modern dating. In relationships, friendships, situationships and everything in between, it's gon be sexy, freaky, messy. And you know what? You'll just have to watch the show. So don't be shy, join the conversation and head over to YouTube to watch Nick Cannon at night or or subscribe on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcast. Want to watch episodes early and ad free? Join Wondery right now.