Four on trial for £1.75m raid at Heathrow — with no jury

The unprecedented trial of four alleged armed robbers without a jury began today as a barrister for one of the men said: "We are breaking history."

John Twomey, Peter Blake, Barry Hibberd and Glen Cameron are accused of taking part in a "professionally executed" £1.75 million hold-up at a Heathrow warehouse in February 2004.

The Court of Appeal ruled last year that the case should be heard by a judge alone because of the danger of jury tampering.

The first major criminal trial in England and Wales to be held without a jury, it is taking place at the Royal Courts of Justice.

The judge, Mr Justice Treacy, who was formally put in charge of the defendants by the clerk of the court, rather than any jury.

During legal submissions Sam Stein QC, for Hibberd, said: "We are breaking history. This is the first time that a court has started a jury-less trial."

Twomey, 61, and Cameron, 50, both of New Milton, Hants, Blake, 57, of Notting Hill and Hibberd, 43, of Shepherd's Bush, deny charges including robbery and firearm possession.