Luke Davies
Former UFC fighter Lee Murray is currently serving a 25-year sentence in a Moroccan prison for his part in a cash raid - the UK's biggest - at a depot in Kent in 2006, and now his daughter has discussed his mental state after 18 years in prison.
Murray, originally from south London, was named as the “mastermind” of a £53m raid on a Securitas depot in 2006 with several.
The ex-UFC star, who has Moroccan citizenship through his father, fled to the country after the raid.
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The Moroccan authorities refused to extradite Murray to the UK for trial, but worked with Kent Police on his prosecution in North Africa, as reported by BBC News.
The Londoner, who boasts eight wins from his 11 UFC bouts, was sentenced to ten years and is held in Sale Prison – although his sentence was later increased to 25 years in 2010.
The gang Murray was involved with kidnapped depot manager Colin Dixon, his wife Lynn and their child before holding them hostage while the premises in Tonbridge was robbed as several men posed as police officers.
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Five men – including Murray - were convicted of kidnap, robbery and firearms charges in 2008. Police later recovered £21m of missing cash but £32m is still unaccounted for.
Murray’s fellow MMA fighter, Paul Allen, was jailed for 18 years.
Very little is known of Murray’s current state, but his daughter has directly appealed to “His Royal Highness King Mohammed VI to grant a royal pardon” after 18 years in prison via change.org.
A statement which accompanied a petition detailed Murray’s - who is also known as Lee Brahim Lamrani-Murray – mental state.
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The statement read: "My name is Lilly Lamrani Murray, and I am appealing directly to His Royal Highness King Mohammed VI to grant a royal pardon to my dad, which will allow him to come home after 18 years apart.
"I am also appealing to the UK public to please help bring my dad home by signing my petition calling on our Prime Minister, Kier Starme to support our plea for a pardon from His Royal Highness, King Mohammed VI.
"My father, Lee Murray, has been in prison in Morocco for 18 years. Myself and my brothers I all miss our dad terribly. We are the invisible victims that are still suffering to this day. We’ve grown up with our dad on the other side of the ocean, some 2000 miles away, only able to visit him once a year, sometimes not even that. I have not seen my father since 2017.
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"I do not condone my father’s actions that led to his imprisonment, but his imprisonment has changed him for the better; he is not the man he was 18 years ago, and I am extremely proud of the person he is now.
"My dad is a good man that made bad choices and paid a huge price.
"Nothing can bring back the years I and my brothers lost as a result of his actions, but I hope you will hear my plea, extend your mercy to my dad and grant him the chance to show the world he is a different person now and only focused on being a positive member of society."