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STUART ROYLE

The car dealer, from Maidstone, Kent, who is thought to have been the lorry driver in the raid. He represented himself during the trial after sacking his legal team.

Royle, 49, showed scant regard for courtroom niceties, when he cross-examined witnesses and sparred with the judge from his position in the dock, where he sat with a huge pile of paperwork.

On one occasion he pointed to the lead prosecutor in the case and asked: “This man, what’s his name?”

“Sir John Nutting,” replied Justice Penry-Davey, referring to the eminent QC who has represented the Queen.

Later in the trial the judge chided Royle and prosecution witness Michelle Hogg as the defendant’s cross-examination descended into unseemly name calling.

“I will not have both of you speaking at the same time,” the judge said.

But Hogg told him: “I am sorry my lord but he is talking absolute rubbish. He might as well be talking out of his bottom.”

However, Royle’s court attendance was sporadic and his plans to call a number of witnesses on his behalf were scuppered when he failed to travel from prison on the day he was due to start his defence case.

The judge had warned him that if he did not show up he would lose the chance to give evidence on his own behalf.

LEA RUSHA

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