An iPad retrieved from the River Thames in London — after sitting underwater and lodged in mud for more than five years — became the crucial piece of evidence that helped police solve a complex international criminal network. The crime ring involved museum heists, luxury robberies and an attempted murder, according to a new report. No big surprise that iPad evidence helps convict criminals — except under these extreme conditions.
The extraordinary case highlights the remarkable resilience of Apple’s iPad technology. It maintained crucial evidence integrity even after years of submersion. The case also demonstrates how digital devices can become key pieces of evidence in solving complex criminal investigations. And that’s even when criminals believe they have successfully disposed of incriminating technology.
iPad evidence helps convict criminals after 5 years underwater
Looking for a gun, London police discovered the iPad mini “under an inch of sand on the foreshore of the River Thames just downstream from the O2 Arena” during an investigation last November, BBC News reported Monday. Despite remaining underwater for more than five years and being “caked in mud,” the device’s SIM tray opened for forensic experts. They cleaned the tablet and retrieved a functioning Vodafone SIM card.
Evidence found on iPad mini helps convict criminals
The recovered data from the iPad mini proved instrumental in convicting three men — Louis Ahearne, Stewart Ahearne and Daniel Kelly — for their involvement in the near-fatal shooting of Paul Allen. Allen is a notorious armed robber connected to Britain’s largest cash heist ($68 million!). He also figured into a sophisticated museum theft in Switzerland, police said.
“Talk about people being flabbergasted and gobsmacked,” said Detective Superintendent Matthew Webb, who led the investigation. “Detective Inspector Matthew Freeman called me and said we have gone to the Thames and found an iPad. I can’t repeat the words I used but my jaw dropped. What a beautiful piece of the puzzle to put together.”
Shooting of Paul Allen
The investigation began after the shooting of Paul Allen in July 2019 at a luxury property in East London. Allen, who had previously been imprisoned for his role in the $68 million Securitas depot robbery in 2006, was hit by two bullets. One in the throat hit his spine and left him paralyzed below the chest and reliant on a wheelchair.
Through meticulous detective work, police linked the three suspects to the shooting through DNA evidence and CCTV footage. The footage showed them in a rented Renault Captur. However, the case took an unexpected turn when Louis Ahearne’s defense statement mentioned stopping at John Harrison Way where Kelly “disappeared in the direction of the Thames.”
This detail prompted investigators to search the riverbed. And that led to the remarkable discovery of the iPad. The device’s call data revealed connections to both the Ahearne brothers and Kelly, as well as links to GPS tracking devices found in a car when two of the suspects were arrested in August 2019.
The data also connected the trio to email accounts associated with dozens of Amazon and eBay purchases. Those included unregistered Nokia “burner” phones used in the murder plot. Crucially, the SIM card had been active until shortly before Allen was shot.
International crime ring
Prior to the shooting, the three men had been involved in a daring heist at the Museum of Far Eastern Art in Geneva. They stole Chinese Ming Dynasty antiques with a combined insured value of £2.8 million. The investigation revealed the men had flown to Hong Kong in an attempt to sell the stolen artifacts, demonstrating their involvement in sophisticated international crime.
The trio had also posed as police officers to rob a luxury apartment in Kent using the same rented Renault Captur. A blue flashing light mounted on top helped them gain entry to the gated property.
After a seven-week trial at the Old Bailey, all three men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder. Their sentencing takes place on April 25. Webb thinks authorities might uncover more to the story. “It is one of those cases where you keep scratching and you keep finding,” he said.
David Snow, an expert on Apple hardware and software, writes on a variety of technological and cultural topics for Cult of Mac. They include Apple news, technology buying guides, and features about computer setups and Apple TV shows and movies.
With 30 years of experience covering technology and other subjects, he has written and edited for numerous print and online publications, including CMP Media, TechTV.com, CNET, Wired News, Red Herring magazine, Law.com, The National Law Journal and Law Technology News magazine. Among other roles, he served as executive editor of the Law.com network of websites and editorial director, technology, for ALM Media.
Snow graduated with a B.A. from Syracuse University with majors in magazine journalism and psychology. While there, he worked as a reporter for The Daily Orange newspaper and associate editor of Equal Time magazine.
Founder of the blog At the Waterline, he can be reached on X (formerly Twitter) via @atthewaterline and on Mastodon via @dsnow.
