Ben McCrum
Details of former UFC fighter Lee Murray's early days in Moroccan prison and the conditions of his cell have been revealed by his close friend and former coach.
Back in 2006, former UFC middleweight Murray was involved in the UK's biggest cash raid at a Securitas depot in Kent, stealing a massive £53million.
Immediately after the raid, Murray, who has Moroccan citizenship through his father, fled to the country in an attempt to avoid prosecution.
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Moroccan authorities refused to extradite Murray to the UK for trial, openly worked with Kent Police to ensure he served time for his crimes, and he was ultimately sentenced to ten years in Sale Prison – although his sentence was later increased to 25 years in 2010.
Little is known about Murray's experience in the prison, or how he dealt with the trial in Morocco, but his former coach and close friend Terry Coulter has revealed some key information.
During the cash raid, Murray, who has eight wins from his 11 UFC fights, and the gang he was involved with kidnapped depot manager Colin Dixon, his wife Lynn and their child before holding them hostage while the building was robbed.
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After they have fled the scene, five men – including Murray - were convicted of kidnap, robbery and firearms charges in 2008 and police were later able to recovered £21m of missing cash, leaving £32m unaccounted for.
Once Murray reached Morocco, he felt that he was safe from prosecution because of his citizenship, and even when it became clear that this wasn't the case, he remained calm.
"I remember speak to him when he was in prison there, early days, and I said 'come home,'" Coulter said on the Anything Goes With James English podcast.
"'No, no, I'll only get ten,' ok, it's backfired on him but what was wrong was that illegal part, where he's now a Moroccan citizen but he's committed a crime here.
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"It it was the other way around they wouldn't be able to do it. But they managed to get him to court, give him 10, the government here kicked off, give him another 15."
Explaining details "He's in a proper high security one and he's having it hard, it's not easy. I think he's banged up 23 hours a day, it's not good. It's absolute s***.
"He used to be able to pay monthly and he would get chicken, rice and he'd get through it. He's got no human rights really, they've stripped his soul."