Ashley Cole burglar's partner learns fate for helping steal £3.5m tiara
A woman who stood trial alongside her burglar partner convicted of stealing from footballer Ashley Cole has been sentenced for the theft of a £3.5 million tiara.
Kelly Duong was given a two-year jail term, suspended for 21 months for her part in the theft of the £3.5 million Portland Tiara from the Harley Gallery in Worksop in 2018. She had been tried alongside her partner, Ashley Cumberpatch, and other co-defendants in 2022 but became no longer involved during proceedings.
Cumberpatch and others were convicted of the burglary in the original trial, as well as the burglary of the home of footballer Ashley Cole. Doung, 35, of Francis Street, Nottingham, is the final member of the gang which stole millions of pounds of jewellery - including the culturally-important Portland Tiara.
She was involved with the others - Cumberpatch, 38, Andrew McDonald, 44 and Kurtis Dilks, 37 - in organising an extensively-planned heist with military precision involving the theft of the historic tiara and diamond brooch from an armoured glass display. Following a 13-week trial at the same court in 2022, the other gang members were found guilty of conspiracy to burgle the Harley Gallery, which they had all denied.
Ashley Cumberpatch and Kelly Duong (Nottinghamshire Police)The judge said the £3.75m haul was culturally priceless and described it as, "a heinous act on the country's heritage". The other three gang members went on to carry out a terrifying raid at the home of former England left back Ashley Cole and his partner and a similar part of a conspiracy to rob the Lincolnshire home of former Tottenham and Derby midfielder Tom Huddlestone.
Man cleaning out dead gran's flat shot dead by police mistaken for burglar
They were also found guilty of a conspiracy to rob a couple's home in Burton Avenue, Carlton, when they wore masks and went in armed with knives and other weapons. During that raid, MacDonald cut part of the terrified householder's ear off and threatened to cut off his thumb. He was beaten and threatened with death before he was bundled into a car and taken to his mother's home where her jewellery and Rolex watch were stolen.
During the Harley Gallery raid, the burglars wore motorcycle helmets, boilersuits or overalls to steal the two pieces of diamond-encrusted jewellery. The daring break-in took place at around 10pm on Tuesday, November 20, 2018.
During sentencing Judge Sampson told Duong: "I have read various references, primarily, from your family. You were in a long-term relationship with Ashley Cumberpatch - a highly-dangerous career criminal who is now serving a long prison sentence. You knew about his character and criminal activities and when he required you to become involved, you did so willingly. I sentence you on the basis that you were manipulated by Cumberpatch."
Henry James, prosecuting, told the court Duong's involvement in the conspiracy was when she and Cumberpatch undertook a planned visit to the estate in August 2017 which they recorded on a Go Pro camera. He said: "That captured all of the details about not only the diamonds but also the outside of the property including points of entry and various ways the burglary could be committed. In it she can be heard saying 'I am going to look around and film the sheep so it looks like I'm filming everything'."
In mitigation Saleema Mahmood, defending, urged the judge to suspend any prison sentence he might impose on her client. She said: "Her role is limited. Miss Duong was in a relationship where she was influenced if not physically then mentally and emotionally. She is a single parent to two children."
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