iPad recovered from river after 5 years cracks murder conspiracy
What's the story
A five-year-old iPad, pulled from the Thames river bed, has helped crack a murder conspiracy.
The tablet was found by London's Marine Policing Unit while probing a July 2019 shooting that left one man paralyzed.
Though broken, the SIM card from the iPad was connected to Daniel Kelly's number.
Kelly (46), along with brothers Stewart and Louis Ahearne, has been found guilty of conspiracy to murder.
Case connection
Accused were also linked to a $2.3 heist
The Ahearne brothers were also linked to the theft of over $2.3 million worth of historical artifacts from a Swiss museum.
Detective Superintendent Matt Webb, who led both investigations, said recovery of the iPad supported their theory it had been used to track the victim and communicate over the defendants.
Webb said he was surprised to find it five years later in a tidal river.
Conviction details
Evidence from iPad led to murder conviction
Using iPad data, phone records, CCTV footage and license-plate recognition technology, the police established Kelly and the Ahearne brothers had installed a tracking device on their victim's car.
The shooting was the culmination of weeks of surveillance on their target, Paul Allen.
Six shots were fired into Allen's home on July 11, 2019, by Kelly and Louis while Stewart waited outside in the car.
Heist connection
iPad data linked to Swiss museum heist
Investigators found Stewart had rented the car used for the 2019 shooting on July 9, and used it for a burglary in Kent the same night.
They drove the vehicle to northeast London where their target resided.
The iPad data helped them know when and where their target would be.
This case bore similarities to a Swiss museum heist that involved rented vehicles, prompting international cooperation among law enforcement agencies.