Police followed up 700 lines of inquiry in gangland ‘Goldfinger’ murder
THE gangland murder of John “Goldfinger” Palmer remains a riddle 18 months after he was killed, an inquest heard today.
Police are still searching for John 'Goldfinger' Palmer's killer
He had so many enemies, police have followed up 700 lines of inquiry in vain.
Once thought to be worth £300million, Palmer, 65, was shot six times with a silenced 8mm pistol in the grounds of his country cottage in South Weald, Brentwood, Essex, on June 24 last year.
The hitman peered through a hole bored in a fence to see Palmer burning papers, then leapt over and shot him.
Palmer, who got his nickname after he was arrested on suspicion of smelting gold bars from the £26million Brink’sMat bullion robbery at Heathrow in 1983, staggered around 15 yards towards his house before collapsing.
Police have followed up 700 leads in vain
But paramedics called to the scene failed to realise he had been shot, thinking his subsequent death was linked to gall bladder surgery he had a few days before.
Murder squad detectives were only called in five days later.
Palmer was once thought to be worth £300million
Officers believe the killing was planned for months, Essex coroner Caroline Beasley-Murray was told.
Rumoured to be a supergrass, the death has been linked to the £14million Hatton Garden gems heist in London in April 2015. Verdict: Unlawful killng