"He had a gun to the guard's head"

THE ringleader of an organised crime gang that netted £500,000 in a series of armed bank robberies was shot dead during an attempted raid in Hampshire, jurors have been told.

Mark Nunes, 35, was shot by a police marksman as he held a gun to the head of a security guard as they attempted to steal cash he was delivering to an HSBC branch in Chandler's Ford.

Nunes was identified as the mastermind behind the gang who, it is claimed, was responsible for at least 18 robberies across the south of England, Kingston Crown Court has been told.

Their 18-month crime spree was brought to an end in September last year when armed police shot dead Nunes and fellow alleged gang member Andrew Markland, after lying in wait outside the bank at Bournemouth Road, Chandler's Ford.

The getaway driver, Terrence Wallace, 26, was arrested later that day after fleeing the scene, the court heard.

Wallace and three other alleged members of the gang, Victor Iniodu, 34, Leroy Wilkinson, 29, and Adrian Johnson, 28, have all gone on trial accused of conspiracy to rob, which they all deny.

Brendan Kelly, opening the case for the prosecution, said: "This case concerns robberies, sometimes armed, sometimes not, that targeted the carriers of cash in transit, that is guards employed to move money to and from banks and all other retail outlets.

"Over an 18-month period of time, this gang netted in excess of £500,000.'' The court was told Nunes, from south London, recruited gang members, selected the targets and helped carry out the robberies.

Mr Kelly said: "But despite their skills, their planning and to a degree, their patience, their luck ran out.

"By September 13, the Metropolitan Police had identified at least some of the culprits of this spree of robberies.

"Once some of the culprits were identified, they were followed.'' On the morning of September 13, 2007, Mark Nunes, 35, and accomplice Andrew Markland, 36, were under surveillance as they drove to Chandler's Ford.

"Armed police officers both undercover and secluded in various buildings in the vicinity of the bank were watching.

"They saw Nunes point a loaded firearm at the head of the guard and as he did so, he was shot dead to protect the life of the guard.

"As Markland went to pick up the gun, he too was shot dead.'' Wallace sped off in a blue Volvo that was later found abandoned at Basing-stoke railway station.station.

Mr Kelly told the court that on the day of the Chandler's Ford raid, CCTV cameras followed Wallace to Basingstoke railway station where he had abandoned the gang's getaway car.

CCTV footage The jury were shown photos from the CCTV footage of Wallace wearing a replica England football shirt with John Terry's name the back, at the station where he made a call to his girlfriend, it was claimed.

He then travelled to Clapham Junction and on to Nunes' house in south London where he met with co-defendant Johnson, the court was told.

When he was arrested he told police that he had not left London all day and had been looking for work.

Wallace, of Raynes Park, Wilkinson, of Palace Road, Streatham, Johnson, of Abbotts Place, Streatham Hill, and Iniodu, of Derinton Road, Tooting, all deny conspiracy to rob cash in transit between April 27, 2006 and September 14 2007.

Johnson denies one additional count of possessing a prohibited weapon and one of robbing Colin Frewer of a cash box containing £25,000 on November 20, 2007.

Leroy Hall, Leon Mackenzie and Brian Henry, have admitted conspiracy to rob.

The trial, which is expected to last seven weeks, continues.

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