British siblings engage in museum raid in Switzerland to settle outstanding debt

According to a court in Geneva, two brothers from the UK have confessed to robbing a museum in Switzerland and stealing valuable Chinese artefacts from the Ming dynasty era. The robbery occurred in June 2019 when a gang of three individuals used tools to break into the Museum of Far Eastern Art in Geneva by breaking through the front door. During the heist, they took two 14th Century vases and a bowl. Stewart and Louis Ahearne, originally from southeast London, appeared before a panel of three judges at the Palais de Justice in Geneva and admitted their involvement in the crime. The charges they faced included theft, trespass, and property damage. Although they fought against extradition from the UK, it was approved by the Home Secretary in 2022. The president of the court, Patrick Monney, rejected a last-minute request to hold the trial in private, emphasizing that the purpose of the hearing was to ask additional questions. The court learned that the Ahearne brothers traveled to Hong Kong after the robbery, where they sold one of the stolen items to an auction house for £80,000. Louis Ahearne confessed that he had come to Geneva a few days before the heist to carry out reconnaissance and film the museum before participating in the burglary. He also admitted to providing his passport to the auction house in Hong Kong. He claimed that he was in debt and was paid to be a front man in order to clear it, stating that he didn't have any tools during the robbery. Throughout the trial, the brothers refused to identify the third person involved in the crime. Stewart Ahearne, who has five children and worked as a tradesman in England, took full responsibility for his actions but denied being involved in planning the heist. He stated that he stole the items without knowing any details about the organization involved in the artwork. Stewart Ahearne described himself as a pawn in a game of chess, saying that he was asked to come to Switzerland to drive and that the scenario changed with the involvement of the third person, who is described as not a pleasant individual. He added that his role was to protect his brother upon receiving a phone call informing him that Louis Ahearne was in debt and needed to bring back some items. The court heard that the Ahearne brothers had visited Geneva in February 2019, with Louis Ahearne claiming it was for tourism purposes and Stewart Ahearne suggesting that it was to assist the third person in scouting. Stewart Ahearne became emotional when asked about his life in Champ-Dollon prison, revealing that he spends 23 hours a day alone in a cell. The hearing is ongoing.