Man guilty of £40m jewellery raid

A man has been convicted of taking part in Britain's biggest jewellery robbery.

Aman Kassaye, 25, of no fixed address, forced a young shop assistant to help steal gems worth £40 million at gunpoint in the "high stakes" heist at Graff Diamonds in Mayfair, central London, last summer.

He was convicted at Woolwich Crown Court, in south east London, of kidnap, conspiracy to rob and possessing a firearm. He was acquitted of a further gun possession charge.

The jury is still deliberating on six co-defendants, who all deny charges relating to the robbery. The jury will resume deliberations on Monday

The gems taken in the robbery have never been recovered.

Kassaye used a professional make-up artist to disguise his appearance and a series of getaway cars to escape across the capital. The raiders shot at anyone who got in their way, Woolwich Crown Court was told.

Footage was shown to the jury of Kassaye firing a shot in the street outside the store as passers-by began to realise what was happening, sending them running for cover.

Kassaye's defence rested on his assertion that the raid was carried out "by someone remarkably like him".

But Petra Ehnar, the shop assistant held at gunpoint during the raid, identified him. Philip Bennetts, for the prosecution, told jurors that after what happened "his facial features would be etched in her mind forever".

Ms Ehnar said she was "petrified" when she was forced to empty the store's display cabinet with a gun to her back. She was forced to fill a bag with 43 pieces of jewellery including earrings, necklaces and watches worth a total of £40 million. One diamond necklace alone was valued at £3.5 million.