Detectives still puzzled by ‘execution’ of gangland boss John ‘Goldfinger’ Palmer who was gunned down at £800,000 Essex mansion

DETECTIVES are no closer to solving the 'execution' of gangland boss John ­'Goldfinger' Palmer 18 months after his murder, an inquest heard. 

Mr Palmer, 65, was fatally shot six times at his £800,000 mansion on June 24, 2015 in a 'professional hit' that could have taken months of planning, a coroners' court heard.

Senior coroner for Essex Caroline Beasley-Murray said she was "sure" that Mr Palmer was unlawfully killed at an inquest into his death.

Following his murder Essex and Kent police serious crime directorate launched a "wide-ranging" murder investigation after admitting "failures" in their initial probe.

The force has since referred itself to watchdog the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) over delays in recording the suspicious nature of the death.

This investigation is ongoing.

The failures included not identifying the bullet holes in his body, failing to look into Mr Palmer's criminal past and not properly searching his body after his death, the court heard.

His death was initially linked to gall bladder surgery he had the previous week, the court heard.

However, when suspicions were raised about the nature of his death on June 29 and a post mortem was carried out the following day at Basildon Hospital, Essex.

Consultant pathologist Benjamin Swift carried it out ruled that Mr Palmer died from gunshot wounds to the chest.

DCI Stephen Jennings led the investigation and spoke at an inquest in Mr Palmer's death.

He said since launching the inquiry they have pursued 700 lines of enquiry and taken 200 witness statements.

But Mr Palmer's "lifestyle of criminality" it meant it was hard to pin down a motive for the murder, the court heard.

He said there were several potential lines of inquiry as several people "would have a legitimate motive of wanting to cause him harm".

This included people affected by the £26million Brink's-Mat bullion raid at Heathrow Airport in 1983.

Mr Palmer, who got his nickname after allegedly smelting gold in the robbery, was never convicted of this crime.

But DCI Jennings said a "number of people involved in this robbery has since died".

Police are also looking into a time share fraud scam in 2001 which defrauded more than 16,000 victims of around £33 million, the court heard.

Mr Palmer was jailed for this for eight years at the Old Bailey.

At the time of his death Mr Palmer was also due to stand trial in mainland Spain for property fraud in Tenerfie and Spain, the court heard. These cases are still on going.

Mr Palmer also had links to several members of the Hatton Garden heist where £14m of jewels were stolen in 2015, the court heard.

DCI Jennings said: "(The investigation) remains current. We are not even close in terms of finishing this inquiry."

He added: "Because of Mr Palmer's lifestyle and his previous involvement with criminality this has made it extremely extensive."

The gangster, rumoured to be a supergrass, died after being shot with an 8mm pistol, which probably had a silencer fitted, the court heard.

He found "unresponsive" by members of his family in the garden at around 5.30pm at the house South Weald, Essex, on June 24, 2015.

Paramedics, and later police attended, but were unable to save Mr Palmer.

DCI Stephen Jennings said the property was completely surrounded by a fence.

Mr Palmer was killed while near a purpose built office, a short distance from the house, which was not covered by the CCTV.

CCTV footage shows Mr Palmer heading down to the building at 5.18pm.

A hole had been cut in the fence near to the building, which enabled the shooter to watch Mr Palmer.
DCI Jennings said he did not believe he was shot through this hole.

He said: "We believe it was very much a contract style killing. It potentially may well have been a well financed operation.

"It was very much a professional killing that could have taken weeks, if not months of planning before it took place."