Hairdresser ‘petrified’ after turning witness

A MAKE-UP artist who created sophisticated disguises for the Securitas robbers is living in fear after becoming the star witness for the prosecution.

Michelle Hogg, who is now in the witness protection scheme, told the Old Bailey she was “petrified” after identifying members of the gang in court.

Hogg, from Plumstead, south-east London, began the case in the dock alongside the men accused of planning and carrying out the record-breaking heist.

But halfway through the trial she was cleared of all charges and in return agreed to name names on behalf of the Crown.

She explained how she used her bra straps and baby bottle teats to disguise one of the robbers.

Ms Hogg said she met and disguised the man called Kane, thought to be Keyinde Patterson.

He is suspected of being the fake policeman who entered the Securitas depot with manager

Colin Dixon.

She said she also created prosthetic masks for robbers Lea Rusha and Stuart Royle, and another man who cannot be named, although Royle did not use his and he was only disguised by having his hair dyed red.

Ms Hogg said she met the robbers Roger Coutts and Jetmir Bucpapa.

She claimed she did not know about the robbery until her mother called her and told her to turn on the television.

Ms Hogg has maintained that while she applied prosthetic disguises she did not know what they were for.

But Roger Coe-Salazar chief crown prosecutor for Kent said: “We did not accept that Michelle Hogg had no knowledge of what she was doing and we still don’t.

“The critical thing Michelle Hogg did is she actually put names to individuals. That piece of information is critical to a jury deciding whether or not they had reasonable doubt.”