A group of burglars from London who pilfered ancient artifacts from a museum in Switzerland have been sentenced to prison for their scheme to assassinate a cage fighter at his opulent residence.

Paul Allen, 47, became paralyzed after being shot in the neck at his home in Woodford Green, East London, on July 11, 2019. Prosecutors claimed that the shooting stemmed from Allen’s background as a “sophisticated” career criminal.

After a trial at the Old Bailey, siblings Louis Ahearne, 36, and Stewart Ahearne, 46, along with Daniel Kelly, 46, were all convicted of conspiracy to commit murder.

In earlier proceedings, Louis Ahearne received a sentence of 33 years, while his elder brother Stewart Ahearne was sentenced to 30 years, and Kelly was given 36 years, with an additional five years under license.

“The true motive behind the shooting is still unclear,” stated Judge Sarah Whitehouse KC.

She expressed her belief that Kelly was the shooter but deemed a life sentence for him “not warranted.”

During the trial, jurors learned that a month prior to the shooting, the Ahearne brothers and Kelly had stolen Ming Dynasty artifacts from the Museum of Far Eastern Art in Geneva.

Allen had previously been convicted at Woolwich Crown Court in 2009 for his role in the UK’s largest armed robbery, which took place at the Securitas depot in Tonbridge, Kent, in 2006, resulting in £54 million in cash being stolen, much of which remains unaccounted for.

By 2019, Allen had completed his prison sentence and relocated from South London to an expansive detached home in Woodford, northeast London, where he resided with his partner and young children.

“Whether or not the motive behind that shooting is related is something we might never ascertain,” Judge Whitehouse remarked.

In July 2019, the trio made several trips from their home area in Woolwich, located in southeast London, to Allen’s residence in Woodford Green while planning and executing their murder scheme, the court heard.

Jurors were informed that, leading up to the shooting, a tracking device had been placed on Allen’s Mercedes vehicle.

The defendants used unregistered pay-as-you-go mobile phones to communicate with one another, and a car was rented by Stewart Ahearne. This vehicle was employed to follow the Mercedes in East London the day before the shooting.

Prosecutor Michael Shaw KC noted that evidence from the shooting scene indicated that the assailants positioned themselves at the back of the property and fired six shots from what appeared to be a Glock 9mm handgun.

The shots traversed Allen’s back garden and penetrated the kitchen and conservatory doors, striking him in both the hand and throat.

Following the gunfire, witnesses reported seeing one to three individuals fleeing the scene and entering a vehicle that sped away.

A DNA match to Kelly and Louis Ahearne was found on a garden fence panel near where five spent bullet casings were recovered, as presented to the court.

Additionally, a gun sight was uncovered at Kelly’s residence in Charlton the following month, jurors heard.

Only Louis Ahearne opted to testify in his defense, claiming his involvement in the Geneva museum theft was solely to repay a debt to Kelly.

He denied any role in the conspiracy to kill Allen, attributing the blame to Kelly, whom he identified as the shooter.

Louis Ahearne insisted that his purpose there was to carry out a burglary or robbery at a drug dealer’s residence.

In mitigation, Avirup Chaudhuri, the lawyer representing Louis Ahearne, referenced letters from prison staff describing him as a “model prisoner.”

Chaudhuri also mentioned, “He has seen his son once in the last half-decade. His time in prison will be doubly difficult due to the testimony he provided during the trial.

“The situation has been exacerbated by a report in a national newspaper labeling him a ‘marked man.’

“He will now serve his sentence constantly aware of potential threats.”

It has also come to light that Kelly—who was absent from the sentencing due to severe back pain—is one of three men being sought by Japanese authorities in connection with a significant extradition case.

In a recent High Court ruling, Japanese officials accuse Kelly and two accomplices of masquerading as customers to steal items valued at £679,000 (¥106 million) from a Harry Winston store on November 20, 2015.

According to Japanese police, the trio assaulted a security guard, smashed display cabinets, and made off with 46 items.

For nearly ten years, Japanese authorities have sought to extradite Kelly, along with his son Kaine Wright, 28, from Plumstead, and Joe Chappell, 38, from Belvedere.

A ruling regarding Chappell and Wright is expected next month, following various court hearings in recent years. Kelly only appeared in court at the end of March concerning the extradition due to the prioritization of the conspiracy to murder case against him.