Brian ‘The Guvnor’ Reader, the mastermind behind the notorious Hatton Garden heist, has passed away at the age of 84. After attempting to conceal his death, a death certificate revealed that Reader succumbed to colon and prostate cancer in September 2023 at his Kent residence.
Reader’s criminal career spanned decades, marked by high-value burglaries totaling over £200 million. His most infamous heist was the 2015 Hatton Garden raid, where £14 million was stolen from a vault. Despite being caught and sentenced to seven years in prison, Reader was released in 2018 after serving only half of his sentence, sparking outrage due to the significant amount of stolen valuables that remained unrecovered.
In 2020, Reader avoided returning to prison for failing to repay his share of the stolen money, as he was deemed too unwell to be jailed. The authorities remain committed to recovering the outstanding balance owed by Reader and his accomplices.