Jail terms handed down for Denmark’s biggest heist

Fourteen men, convicted of the biggest heist in Denmark’s history, have been sentenced to between seven and 10 years in jail. The municipal court in the suburb of Glostrup in Copenhagen handed down six seven-year jail terms, six eight-year stretches and one 10-year sentence. A further man was committed to a psychiatric hospital for an undetermined period.

DKK 60 million (USD 10.5 million) was stolen from cash handling company Dansk in Glostrup in 2008, making the crime Denmark’s biggest robbery to date. Only DKK 3 million (USD 529,000) of the overall haul has so far been retrieved.

Speaking at the trial, the prosecutor Helen Schroder said the heist was, “the largest and most brutish robbery in the history of Denmark”. According to Politiken, Ms Schroder called for those found guilty to be issued with sentences of 14 years or more in her final summing up.

All fourteen were found guilty of arson, causing danger to others and aggravated robbery. In addition to the prison sentences, all the men will have to pay legal costs and contribute DKK 4.4 million (USD 775,683) to the Codan insurance company.

The man who received the 10-year jail term was found with a loaded handgun, DKK 3.5 million (USD 617,000) and EUR 61,600 by police. So far, 12 of the men have appealed the verdict and are pleading not guilty.