An iPad at the Bottom of the Thames Helped Solve a Crime Worthy of Black Mirror

The case began six years ago when a group of people tried to kill Paul Allen, an ex-convict with a lengthy criminal record. In 2006, he took part in the robbery of a Securitas depot, one of the biggest heists in British history.

The London police had been working on a very complex investigation for six years, including a shooting they couldn’t quite figure out. But it all came to a head at the end of November last year when the police unexpectedly found an iPad at the bottom of the Thames using a metal detector.

At first glance, it may not have seemed particularly valuable. However, after examining it, they discovered that the SIM card inside could be crucial. After reviewing its contents, they realized the SIM card could be the key to solving the case that had been open for years.

After serving his sentence, Allen seemed to have reintegrated into society—until he was shot in his kitchen. The case stalled with no evidence and no clear suspects. Everything changed with the appearance of the iPad, which connected the dots.

The iPad and a SIM Card That Changed Everything

According to The Washington Post, the iPad had been submerged for more than five years, covered in mud and completely unusable. However, the police were able to recover and analyze its SIM card.

Thanks to this card, police discovered that Allen was being followed by three men: Louis Ahearne, Stewart Ahearne, and Daniel Kelly. The device contained information from a tracker installed in Allen’s car, travel coordinates, and communication records, making it possible to reconstruct the steps and surveillance leading up to the attack.

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Using the coordinates extracted from the iPad, officers consulted security cameras on the streets of London. This confirmed that the attackers had systematically followed him. The prosecutor in the case was emphatic in his assessment:

“[They] acted together in a well-planned and orchestrated manner to shoot their victim.”

But that wasn’t all.

Using this information, investigators were able to link the suspects to another international crime: the theft of two Ming Dynasty vases from the Museum of Far Eastern Art in Geneva, Switzerland. The patterns of movement, logistics, and even the vehicle used—a rented Renault Captur—all matched.

The discovery led to the Ahearnes’ extradition to Switzerland, where they were sentenced to three and a half years in prison, fined $60,000, and banned from reentering the country.

Detective Matt Webb, who led the investigation, said he knew one of the suspects had stopped near the river after the shooting, but the reason was unclear. It’s now known that he disposed of the iPad by throwing it into the Thames to destroy key evidence.

All police knew at the time was that they had stopped the car on John Harrison Way and that Kelly had gotten out—but nothing more. They didn’t know where he went or what had happened.

What appeared to be a simple device forgotten underwater became the key to solving two major criminal cases. In a story worthy of a movie, an iPad that had been submerged for years exposed a trio of criminals and closed a six-year investigation.

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