ITV’s postponed Hatton Garden drama will be aired in May, it was revealed in court, following the death of one of the heist’s masterminds Terry Perkins.
The four-part series, starring Timothy Spall, was due to be shown in December – on the same day Perkins was to go on trial over the £1 million burglary of Chatila jewellers in Old Bond Street.
But the programme was put on hold after prosecutors told the broadcaster it clashed with the trial, which was eventually delayed because of Perkins’ poor health.
The career criminal died on February 5 in Belmarsh prison, in south-east London, where he was serving a seven-year sentence for his role in the estimated £14 million Hatton Garden raid.
A new date for the ITV show that chronicles the burglary was revealed at Southwark Crown Court on Monday as the Chatila case against Perkins was officially discontinued.
Prosecutor Philip Evans QC said: “The television series due to be aired at the same time as the trial in December has now been scheduled to be played on May 16.”
ITV would not comment on the reasons for the postponement of its programme, but a spokesman said: “ITV’s powerful new drama Hatton Garden has been rescheduled for later this year.”
Perkins, who suffered from diabetes and heart problems, is believed to have died from natural causes in his cell.
It came days after he was ordered to pay back £6.5 million stolen in the Hatton Garden heist or spend another seven years in jail.
His fellow Hatton Garden raider Daniel Jones, 60, last year pleaded guilty to burgling Chatila between August 27 and 31 2010 and is awaiting sentence.
A safe containing £40 million worth of gems was targeted, but the thieves made off with around £1 million in jewellery stolen from display cabinets in the Mayfair store.