Hairdresser 'part of �53m plot'

The robbery took place at a Securitas depot in Tonbridge in February 2006

A salon owner recruited a hairdresser to make disguises for Britain's biggest cash robbery, a court has heard.

But Michael Demetris was turned in by Michelle Hogg when she was charged over the �53m heist of the Securitas depot in Tonbridge, Kent, in February 2006.

An Old Bailey jury heard salon owner Mr Demetris, 32, of south London, was in charge of disguising the robbers.

He denies charges of conspiracy to rob, kidnap and possessing firearms, along with Paul Allen, 30, of Chatham, Kent.

Jurors have heard that cage fighters Mr Allen and Lee Murray, 29, of Sidcup, south London, fled to Morocco days after the robbery.

They are alleged to have masterminded the plot to rob the depot. Mr Allen was extradited to the UK while Mr Murray remains in a Moroccan jail.

'Part of history'

The court was told Mr Demetris, who lived in Bromley Common and owned Hair Hectic in Forest Hill, south London, asked his employee Miss Hogg to provide prosthetic disguises, similar to those used in theatre and cinema production, for the men involved in the raid.

Eighteen hours after the robbery he went to her south London flat and "asked her how it felt to be part of history", prosecutor Sir John Nutting QC said.

He is also said to have advised her what to say when police came asking questions.

Miss Hogg was put on trial with members of the robbery gang after materials used to create the disguises were found in the bin at her south London home.

Sir John said: "If these products are applied professionally, not only can a person's appearance be successfully disguised, but it is extremely difficult, even close up, to appreciate that the person has been disguised."

Impressive portfolio

Charges were dropped against Miss Hogg when she agreed to give evidence for the prosecution, the court heard.

Sir John said though Miss Hogg had been cleared she was still regarded as an "accomplice in these offences".

Miss Hogg claimed she was asked by her boss to help with disguises a few weeks before the raid.

She impressed Mr Murray with her portfolio of prosthetic work from college and was told to work exclusively on this job from home, the jury was told.

During an all-night session at Hectic Hair on 19 February, she applied disguises for three of the gang, with the help of Mr Demetris, who provided fake hair, the court heard.

Later that day she was asked to travel to Kent to make changes to the disguises.

The court has been told robbers kidnapped Securitas manager Colin Dixon and his family to carry out the "terrifying" robbery in which staff members were tied up and threatened with guns during the raid "in the dead of night".

Lea Rusha, Stuart Royle, Jetmir Bucpapa and Roger Coutts were all convicted in January of planning the heist while Securitas worker Emir Hysenaj was found guilty of being the inside man.

The trial continues.

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