Man, 73, charged with £220M attempted bank theft

2:41pm Sunday 16th March 2008

An elderly Walton man has faced court accused of trying to steal £220million by hacking into a Japanese bank's computer system.

Bernard Davies, 73, appeared in Snaresbrook Crown Court along with Kevin O'Donoghue, 33, of Birmingham and David Nash, 47, of Durrington, West Sussex, charged with conspiracy to defraud, conspiracy to steal, conspiracy to transfer criminal property and conspiracy to remove criminal property between 1 January and 5 October 2004.

Hugh Rodley, 60, from Gloucestershire, was not in court because of ill health.

None of the four have yet entered pleas.

The four are alleged to have targeted the London offices of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation with the plan to electronically transfer money to a series of accounts around the world.

The case was adjourned until May 30.