About this episode

The episode concludes the Brink’s Mat saga, exploring the life and death of John “Goldfinger” Palmer and the impact of the heist on the criminal world.

In the final chapter of this special three part series from True Criminals, the Brink’s Mat saga reaches its chilling, unsolved conclusion. The story moves from the immediate aftermath of the heist to the long, violent shadow it cast over the criminal underworld for more than three decades—culminating in a quiet garden in Essex. Hosts Martin and Helen are reunited with former Metropolitan Police Commander and head of the Flying Squad, Roy Ramm, to trace the extraordinary life and mysterious death of John “Goldfinger” Palmer. A Bristol jeweler who provided the commercial cover needed to melt down, contaminate, and disperse the stolen bullion, Palmer managed to beat the Brink's Mat handling charges in court, only to build a fraudulent timeshare empire fueled by violence and offshore laundering. The episode explores Palmer's brazen audacity—including the surreal moment he chose to cross examine police leadership while defending himself in a multi million pound fraud trial—and the massive institutional failures that allowed banks to handle bags of his cash unchallenged. Roy and Martin reflect on the infamous "Golden Week" lost by investigators when Palmer was gunned down by a…

People in this episode

Hosts: Martin, Helen

Guest: Roy Ramm

Topics covered

• Brink's Mat Gold Heist
• true crime
• criminal underworld
• fraud
• unsolved cases
• institutional failures

Keywords

• Brink's Mat
• gold heist
• John Palmer
• fraud trial
• unsolved murder
• criminal history
• Curse of Brink's Mat

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Metropolitan Police, Flying Squad

Places: Essex

More episodes of True Criminals

• John Worboys: The Black Cab Rapist — with Special Guest Carrie Johnson · June 1, 2026 · 1h 4m
• Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's Biggest Crisis Yet? | True Criminals Briefing · May 29, 2026 · 11 min
• The Brink’s-Mat Gold Heist | With Special Guest Former Flying Squad Commander Roy Ramm | PART 2 · May 19, 2026 · 45 min
• True Criminals: Most Wanted – Operation Captura | In Partnership with the National Crime Agency & Crimestoppers · May 14, 2026 · 46 min
• The Brink’s-Mat Gold Heist | With Special Guest Former Flying Squad Commander Roy Ramm | PART 1 · May 11, 2026 · 29 min

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