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Most members of the gang that attempted the 2000 Millennium Dome diamond raid have little public presence, but the most recent reporting, from 2025, gives clear updates on several of them. Lee Wenham, released from prison in 2005, is reported to run a landscaping business. Ray Betson was later convicted of a separate robbery and was out of prison by 2025, when he was speaking to young people through an ex-offender charity. Robert Adams and Terry Millman are dead. Public information about the remaining members is limited.
“The Diamond Heist” is Netflix’s 2025 limited documentary series about the failed attempt to steal the Millennium Star and other jewels from the De Beers exhibition at London’s Millennium Dome on 7 November 2000. It is not about the 2003 Antwerp diamond theft, which is the subject of the separate film Stolen: Heist of the Century. If you are looking for the Antwerp gang, this article does not cover them.
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What happened at the Millennium Dome
The gang attempted a daytime ram raid. They used a stolen JCB to break through the Dome’s perimeter, then used tools to get through the protective glass around the display. Their escape plan was a speedboat.
The raid failed. Police were already monitoring the group and arrested participants during the attempt. The genuine Millennium Jewels had been moved beforehand, and decoys had been placed in their display, so the gang did not get the real stones. Crime+Investigation’s historical account of the case confirms both the failure and the decoy substitution.
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The 2002 trial and original sentences
Crime+Investigation reports that the jury found the men guilty on 18 February 2002. The sentences below are the original terms handed down at trial. They are not the time each person actually served, because later reporting says some sentences were reduced on appeal.
| Participant | Original sentence (2002 trial) | Offence as reported |
|---|---|---|
| Raymond “Ray” Betson | 18 years | Conspiracy to steal |
| William Cockram | 18 years | Conspiracy to steal |
| Aldo Ciarrocchi | 15 years | Conspiracy to steal |
| Robert “Bob” Adams | 15 years | Conspiracy to steal |
| Lee Wenham | 9 years | Conspiracy to steal |
| Kevin Meredith | 5 years | Conspiracy to steal (speedboat pilot) |
Sentences listed are as reported by Crime+Investigation and The Standard. Actual time served varies; the Wenham entry below gives the one figure the reporting specifies.
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Where the participants are now
Only the 2025 reporting gives recent details. Where it is silent, this article says so rather than filling the gap.
Lee Wenham
Wenham was released in 2005 after serving about four and a half years, according to 2025 reporting. He has said he runs a landscaping business and has stayed out of prison since. He has also written a memoir, Diamond Gangster. Reporting in 2025 said it was available for preorder on Amazon, so check the current listing and edition before buying, since availability may have changed.
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Ray Betson
Betson’s later conviction is the most important context for his case. He was convicted for a separate, botched cash-depot robbery and sentenced in 2014 to 13 years, half in custody and half on licence. A 2025 report says he was out of prison by then and had spoken to young people through the AP Foundation, a charity that supports ex-offenders. That report does not establish where he lives or what work he does, so those details should not be assumed.
Aldo Ciarrocchi
The most recent detail on Ciarrocchi comes from a 2023 report in The Times, which said he and his family were involved in home-renovation projects. That is a dated account, not confirmation of his activities in 2026.
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William Cockram
A 2025 article reports that Cockram lives out of the public eye since his release. It does not establish his current occupation or location.
Kevin Meredith
Meredith, the speedboat pilot, received five years for conspiracy to steal. A 2025 article says he has stayed out of the public eye since release. No more specific current information has been established.
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Robert “Bob” Adams
A 2025 article reports that Adams died in prison in 2002.
Terence “Terry” Millman
Millman died of cancer in 2001, before the trial.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Key figures and what they measure
Two numbers from the documentary coverage are often repeated without their context. Both describe the target, not the outcome of the raid.
| Figure | What it measures | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| 203 carats | Weight of the Millennium Star | 2025 coverage of the documentary |
| £350 million | Estimated value of the diamonds the gang targeted, as described in the documentary’s account. It is not the value of anything stolen. | 2025 coverage of the documentary |
| 7 November 2000 | Date of the failed raid | Crime+Investigation |
| 18 February 2002 | Date the jury returned guilty verdicts | Crime+Investigation |
What the judge and Wenham said
The Standard reports that the sentencing judge described the plan in these words: “This was a wicked, professional plan, and one which was carried out with the minutest attention to detail. Mercifully, the police were on to it.” The judge is not named in that report.
In an interview with Rolling Stone UK, Wenham said: “We did not want to hurt anybody. Through my whole experience of doing this sort of thing I’ve always put people’s safety first. I know it sounds stupid, but the last thing you want to do is hurt anybody.” This is Wenham’s own account of his intentions. It is not independent evidence of how the gang behaved.
Quick Recap
How current these updates are
- Most of the present-day details come from articles published in 2025, so they describe the situation at that time, not today.
- Some status details, including Ciarrocchi’s home-renovation work, are secondhand summaries of older reporting.
- Precise current addresses and occupations are not established for Cockram or Meredith.
- Betson’s update is tied to 2025 reporting and should be read as a snapshot, not an ongoing record.
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