A number of people have today appeared in court for the first time in connection with an alleged plot to steal a tiara described as a ‘national treasure’ stolen from a Nottinghamshire art gallery two years ago.
The £3.5m Portland Tiara, which was worn to the coronation of the Queen’s great- grandfather Edward VII, was stolen from the Welbeck Estate in Sherwood Forest, on 20 November 2018.
Thieves broke into the Portland Collection Museum at the Harley Gallery and also stole a diamond brooch from an armoured glass display as well as the tiara.
Twelve men and one woman have appeared at court today following a lengthy investigation by Nottinghamshire Police.
Ashley Cumberpatch, Andrew MacDonald, Kelly Duong, Adrian Eddishaw, and Matthew Johnson were today (Thursday 22 October) formally charged with a conspiracy to break into the Welbeck Estate gallery in Worksop with intent to steal.
Cumberpatch, MacDonald and Eddishaw, along with co-defendants Christopher Yorke, Gordon Thornhill, Tevfik Guccuk and Sercan Evsin were also charged with converting criminal property in relation to the stolen items.
Cumberpatch, 35, formerly of First Avenue, Carlton and MacDonald, 40, formerly of Woodstock Avenue, Nottingham, have each been charged with a total of 11 offences.
Duong, 32, of Francis Street, the Arboretum, has been charged with four offences, Eddishaw, 32, of Northall Avenue, Bulwell, faces two charges and Johnson, 34, of Kingsthorpe Close, Mapperley, faces one charge.
They appeared at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court along with a number of other defendants as part of a complex investigation involving the jewellery heist, as well as other offences including conspiracies to rob and burgle; the sale of stolen goods and the theft of cars.
The defendants are:
Ashley Cumberpatch, 35, formerly of First Avenue, Carlton; 11 charges.
Andrew MacDonald, 40, formerly of Woodstock Avenue, Nottingham; 11 charges.
Kelly Duong, 32, of Francis Street, the Arboretum; four charges.
Adrian Eddishaw, 32, of Northall Avenue, Bulwell; two charges.
Matthew Johnson, 34, of Kingsthorpe Close, Mapperley; one charge.
Kurtis Dilks, 33, of Whitegate Vale, Clifton; nine charges.
Tevfik Guccuk, 39 of Houndsden Road, Southgate, London; five charges.
Sercan Evsin, 25, of Meadow Close, Barnett; four charges.
Shazad Khan, 46, of Lea Hall Road, Birmingham; three charges.
Abiazh Raja, 21, formerly of Lea Hall Road, Leah Hall, Birmingham; three charges.
Darren Stokes, 35, of Staunton Drive, Sherwood; one charge.
Christopher Yorke, 49, of Rose Ash Lane, Arnold; one charge.
Gordon Thornhill, 48, of Mosswood Crescent, Arnold; one charge.
All have been given unconditional bail and are now due to appear at Nottingham Crown Court on 19 November at 10am.
Nottinghamshire Police launched the investigation after the historic Portland Tiara and diamond brooch were stolen from an armoured glass display case at The Portland Collection Gallery on The Welbeck Estate between 9.45pm and 10pm on Tuesday 20 November 2018.
The 6th Duke of Portland commissioned world-renown Cartier to create the Portland Tiara for his wife, Winifred, Duchess of Portland. She wore it to the 1902 coronation of King Edward VII. The Duchess was one of four canopy bearers to Queen Alexandra during the coronation of King Edward VII in 1902.
The centre-piece of the tiara is the Portland Diamond, which dates from the 19th century.
It was flanked by two diamond drops and other pendant diamonds, all set in gold and silver.
The diamond brooch was composed of diamond clusters that previously stood at the apex of the tiara but were later repurposed into the pin.
