A “raid” on a security van in which more than £300,000 was stolen was an inside job involving the driver, a court heard.

Jimmy Doolly claimed robbers made off with the cash after ambushing him near Sevenoaks, tying him up and attacking him with a Taser.

But an investigation revealed there was no robbery and Doolly, 35, was in cahoots with William Williams, 42, his partner Janet Pryde, 59, and others, it was alleged.

Doolly was working for Lions Security and Systems Ltd, based in Crawley, as a cash-in-transit van driver delivering money collected from businesses to a cash centre in Tonbridge.

Shortly after 7am on August 28, 2017, Doolly reported he had been robbed of the £319,408 he was carrying in the van.

“An investigation was undertaken by the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directive and evidence gathered demonstrates there was no robbery,” prosecutor Daniel Stevenson told Maidstone Crown Court.

“Instead, these three defendants conspired or agreed with each other and with others, including Terry Creton, to steal the contents of the van and make a false report of a robbery to the police to cover up their crimes.”

Mr Stevenson said Creton left the “jurisdiction” on September 1 and travelled to France, Spain and Colombia, before returning to Spain, where he was currently in custody.

Lions Security began operating in 2012 and ceased trading as a result of the cash loss.

The vans had no obvious signage on them and staff did not wear uniforms, so as to disguise that large sums of money were being carried.

"These three defendants conspired or agreed with each other and with others, including Terry Creton, to steal the contents of the van and make a false report of a robbery to the police to cover up their crimes...” - prosecutor Daniel Stevenson

Mr Stevenson said Doolly only began working for the company a month and a half before the theft. He had made two previous trips to the cash centre in Tonbridge.

He set off at about 6.25am on August 28, travelling on the M23 to the M25, before heading towards Tonbridge on the A21.

At 7.06am, he stopped on the A21 Sevenoaks bypass and switched off the ignition. He reported that a black Audi A3 with a siren and blue lights had indicated to pull over.

He said two men forced him out, bound him with cable ties and pushed him into the van. He added that they struck his leg with a Taser and took the money, which was in bags in the back.

Mr Stevenson said Doolly claimed the robbery happened in the area of Morley’s roundabout between Sevenoaks and Hildenborough.

But despite claiming he was bound with cable ties and assaulted he had no visible marks, he told the jury. He also told police he was able to free himself from the ties quite quickly.

Officers driving towards Brasted saw smoke and then a black Audi A3 engulfed in flames. It was not possible to tell if it had a siren and blue lights, as it was destroyed.

Mr Stevenson said a locked rucksack Williams asked his mother to look after while he went on holiday to Tenerife was found to contain over £70,000 in cash.

Doolley, of Ninehams Road, Williams, of Westway, Pryde, of Newstead Rise, all Caterham, Surrey, deny conspiracy to steal and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice between July 1 and August 29, 2017.

The trial continues.