Two alleged ‘inside men’ in a £200,000 heist at a John Lewis warehouse were identified by police after “painstaking” analysis of phone records, a court has heard.
Przemslaw Chyla, aged 26, and Krzysztof Bogszewski, aged 33, stand accused of conspiring to help a gang of burglars raid the firm’s national distribution centre, at Brackmills, Northampton, on Saturday, October 29, 2011.
Northampton Crown Court heard that phone records showed the pair had frequent contact in the month leading up to the raid, but had little contact prior to that, or after.
But the defendants deny the calls were to help plan the burglary, which took place on a night they were working.
A gang stole iPads, Mac Books and electrical items worth more than £200,000 in a “planned, organised raid”.
Chyla, who was a manager at the warehouse, had effectively been in charge on the night, while Bogszewski, a warehouse porter, was also working on the 2pm to 10pm Saturday shift.
Andrew Copeland, prosecuting, said: “John Lewis provided police with phone records for everyone who was working on the day. Only two people came to light.
“There was some contact each way in September, then it becomes a lot more frequent in October, and tails off in November.
“They seem to have a touch of amnesia on a number of calls. I would say they are both lying to you.”
James McLernon, for Bogszewski, said: “The type of contact the day before the burglary, the day of the burglary, and the day after the burglary was not unusual. These two men are simply friends who regularly contact each other.”
The court also heard Bogszewski had bought an iPad from one of the men involved in the burglary, and initially lied to protect him when questioned. He admitted he knew it was stolen under cross-examination.
Mr McLernon said his client admitted it was “stupid” to buy the iPad, but he was not involved with the conspiracy.
Chyla, of Pleydell Gardens, Far Cotton, and Bogszewski, of Wellington Street, both deny the charges they face. The jury was sent out to deliberate on their case on Monday afternoon.
Four men have already admitted their roles in the raid.
Marcin Bakowski, aged 30, Piotr Kozlowski, aged 31, Lukasz Srodecki, aged 32, Vitalijs Razadovskis, aged 26, will all be sentenced at a later date.