Accident claim news

Millennium Dome robber makes personal injury claim

A man who tried to steal £200,000 million worth of diamonds from the Millennium Dome has made a personal injury claim for the injuries he sustained while being arrested.

William Cockram, 54, was one member of the gang who famously tried to steal millions of pounds worth of diamonds from the Dome in November 2000 but was caught red-handed following several tip-offs to the police.

The gang could have caused members of the public serious personal injuries after planning to uses a digger to knock down an entrance to the Dome, arming themselves with nailguns, ammonia and sledgehammers.

Cockram, who is serving 15 years for his part in the robbery, claims that he suffered a serious head injury when police arrested him and has decided to make a compensation claim against the Metropolitan Police.

He claims that police officers assaulted him when he was lying handcuffed on the floor, causing him to suffer a bruised eye and subsequent flattening and numbness to his cheekbone.

Many officials have slammed the decision of giving Cockram £2,500 in legal aid to make his compensation claim.

Glen Smith, Chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, said, "This man used considerable violence to commit a robbery. We have got to pay for him to be locked up and fed. Now we are paying for him to sue the police.

"You would have thought he'd have lost his rights as a result of this extremely serious crime."

Shadow Home Secretary, David Davis, agreed with this statement and said, "If you set out to commit a crime, you shouldn't expect the public to pick up the bill for the consequences."

It is believed that with the help of compensation solicitors, Cockram's personal injury claim could total up to £50,000.