Kenneth Regan

Overview

Kenneth Regan (born 1953) was a British murderer and drug dealer. He was found guilty in 2005, along with William Horncy, of murdering millionaire Amarjit Chohan, Chohan’s wife, Chohan’s mother-in-law and two sons. Regan was sentenced to life imprisonment. The bodies of Chohan’s sons were never found.

Timeline

• 1997 — Kenneth Regan befriended Belinda Brewin after meeting her at the bar in Harvey Nichols, Knightsbridge, London.
• 1998 — Regan was arrested in possession of 30kg of heroin and was later jailed for eight years after agreeing to turn Queen’s evidence.
• 2000 Dec — Regan was given a concurrent eight-year sentence for his part in a huge fake passport racket.
• 2002 Jun — Regan was released from jail after serving four years.
• 2003 Jan — Regan tried to organise a £3m deal involving land near Heathrow which Amarjit Chohan had an option to buy.
• 13 Feb 2003 — Amarjit Chohan disappeared after going to meet a man allegedly interested in buying Ciba Freight; he was abducted by Regan, William Horncy and Peter Rees and taken back to Regan’s father’s home near Salisbury, Wiltshire.
• 15 Feb 2003 — With Peter Rees guarding Amarjit Chohan, Regan and William Horncy travelled to Hounslow, west London, and talked their way into Amarjit Chohan’s home; they killed Nancy Chohan, her sons Ravinder and Devinder and her mother Charanjit Kaur; they hired a van and took the bodies to the West Country.
• 16 Feb 2003 — Amarjit Chohan was forced to sign a series of blank letters and make a couple of phone calls; later that night they killed Amarjit Chohan.
• 17 Feb 2003 — Regan turned up at Ciba Freight’s office with a power of attorney signed under duress by Amarjit Chohan and started running the company.
• 19 Feb 2003 — The five bodies were loaded onto a hired van and driven down to Belinda Brewin’s farm near Tiverton, Devon; Regan, Horncy and Rees dug a ditch and buried the bodies, covered with aggregate.
• 21 Feb 2003 — Regan took Amarjit Chohan’s car to a friend in Southampton who agreed to dispose of it.
• 5 Mar 2003 — Onkar Verma travelled to London from New Zealand to put pressure on police to find out what had happened to his sister.
• 21 Mar 2003 — The case was referred to Scotland Yard’s Serious Crime Group and a week later a detective interviewed Regan for the first time.
• 19 Apr 2003 (Easter Saturday) — Regan returned with Horncy and Rees and dug up the five bodies.
• 20 Apr 2003 (Easter Sunday) — After buying a boat, Regan, Horncy and Rees took the bodies out to sea and dumped them off Dorset.
• 21 Apr 2003 (Easter Monday) — Police monitored Regan and Horncy at a fictional rendezvous in Newport, south Wales; neither Amarjit Chohan nor his supposed kidnappers turned up.
• 22 Apr 2003 — A body was found floating in the sea off Bournemouth pier.
• 29 Apr 2003 — The body was confirmed to be that of Amarjit Chohan; that night, as detectives interviewed Belinda Brewin, Regan and Horncy fled by ferry to France and then travelled to Spain; Rees went on the run, hiding out with a friend in Gloucestershire.
• 30 Apr 2003 — Police began excavating the field in Devon; DNA belonging to the Chohan family and other incriminating items were later discovered.
• 14 May 2003 — Rees was arrested in a pub in Coleford in the Forest of Dean.
• 15 Jul 2003 — A body was discovered by fishermen off the Isle of Wight; it was later identified as being that of Nancy Chohan.
• 2 Aug 2003 — Regan was arrested at a campsite in Ghent, Belgium.
• 2 Sep 2003 — Horncy returned to Dover and gave himself up.
• 7 Sep 2003 — A third body was washed up on the Isle of Wight; it was later identified as being that of Charanjit Kaur.
• 8 Nov 2004 — Regan, Horncy and Rees went on trial at the Old Bailey; all denied murder and false imprisonment.
• 1 Jul 2005 — Regan and Horncy were convicted of the murders; Rees was convicted of Amarjit Chohan’s murder and of assisting an offender, but cleared of the other four murder charges; the bodies of Ravinder and Devinder had never been found.
• 5 Jul 2005 — Two men who murdered a millionaire and three generations of his family were jailed for life; Kenneth Regan and William Horncy had been convicted at the Old Bailey on Friday.
• July 5, 2005 — Regan was sentenced to life in prison.
• 23 Feb 2008 — The Times revealed that Regan was one of around 50 prisoners who had been issued with whole life tariffs and were unlikely ever to be released.

People

• Kenneth Regan (born 1953) — defendant; ringleader; police informant; previously convicted drug dealer; co-defendant of William Horncy.
• William Horncy — co-defendant; convicted alongside Kenneth Regan.
• Amarjit Chohan — victim; millionaire; west London; known as “chancer”; convicted drug dealer Horncy was implicated by a note found in Amarjit Chohan’s sock.
• Nancy Chohan — victim; Amarjit Chohan’s wife; 25-year-old.
• Charanjit Kaur — victim; 51; mother of Nancy Chohan.
• Devinder — victim; 18-month-old; body never found.
• Ravinder — victim; two-month-old; body never found.
• Onkar Verma — Nancy Chohan’s brother; travelled from New Zealand to London to put pressure on police to find out what had happened.
• Peter Rees — defendant; convicted of Amarjit Chohan’s murder and of assisting an offender; cleared of killing four others.
• Det Ch Insp Dave Little — led the investigation.
• Richard Horwell — prosecuting.
• Michael Gledhill QC — defended co-defendant Peter Rees.
• Paul Mendelle — defended Regan.
• Suresh Grover — read out a statement on behalf of Onkar Verma.
• Belinda Brewin — ex PR executive; former best friend of Paula Yates; described in connection with Regan and as having a link to the farm near Tiverton.
• Keith Luxton — neighbouring farmer who was spoken to by Regan.
• Detections / police / undercover detectives — monitored a rendezvous point by a bronze pig in Newport, south Wales.
• Judge Sir Stephen Mitchell — passed sentence at the Old Bailey.
• Richard Horwell and Paul Mendelle — named in court contexts during prosecution and defence.

The offence

Regan planned to take over Amarjit Chohan’s successful CIBA freight company to use it as a front for importing drugs, and he wanted people to believe that Amarjit Chohan had gone abroad. The plan involved luring Amarjit Chohan to Stonehenge, Wiltshire, holding him against his will for several days, gagging him and forcing him to sign over his company before murdering him.

Regan, Horncy and Peter Rees abducted Amarjit Chohan on 13 Feb 2003 and took him back to Regan’s father’s home near Salisbury, Wiltshire. While Peter Rees guarded Amarjit Chohan, Regan and Horncy went into Amarjit Chohan’s home in Hounslow on 15 Feb 2003 and killed Nancy Chohan, her sons Ravinder and Devinder and Charanjit Kaur. Amarjit Chohan was forced to sign blank letters and make phone calls on 16 Feb 2003 before he was killed later that night.

Regan then started running Ciba Freight using a power of attorney signed under duress by Amarjit Chohan on 17 Feb 2003. On 19 Feb 2003 the five bodies were driven to Belinda Brewin’s farm near Tiverton, Devon, where Regan, Horncy and Rees dug a ditch and buried the bodies, covered with aggregate. Regan took Amarjit Chohan’s car to a friend in Southampton who agreed to dispose of it on 21 Feb 2003.

Regan later returned to the farm with Horncy and Rees on 19 Apr 2003 (Easter Saturday) and dug up the five bodies. On 20 Apr 2003 (Easter Sunday), Regan, Horncy and Rees took the bodies out to sea and dumped them off Dorset.

Police later monitored Regan and Horncy at a fictional rendezvous in Newport, south Wales on 21 Apr 2003 (Easter Monday), where neither Amarjit Chohan nor his supposed kidnappers turned up.

Bodies were recovered after the sea dumpings. A body was found floating off Bournemouth pier on 22 Apr 2003 and confirmed as Amarjit Chohan’s body on 29 Apr 2003. Nancy Chohan’s body was discovered off the Isle of Wight on 15 Jul 2003. Charanjit Kaur’s body was identified on 7 Sep 2003. The bodies of Ravinder and Devinder were never found. Police believed the family were held captive for several days and when Amarjit Chohan realised he was going to be murdered he concealed a letter addressed to Horncy’s father in his sock.

Investigation

Det Ch Insp Dave Little, who led the investigation, said the crime was “utterly beyond the comprehension of decent society” and described it as a crime “utterly beyond the comprehension of decent society”. He also said the murders were carried out purely because of “financial greed”. Det Ch Insp David Little told BBC News:

"All of the officers involved in the case did a fantastic job, it spanned two and a half years and the conclusion proves the amount of work they put into it."

Police still did not know how Amarjit Chohan died and said they would be asking the men to tell them where to find the bodies of two-month-old Ravinder and 18-month-old Devinder.

The bodies were found after the dumping at sea, and the farm dig and excavations later led to discovery of DNA belonging to the Chohan family and other incriminating items.

Arrest

Regan was arrested at a campsite in Ghent, Belgium on 2 Aug 2003. Horncy returned to Dover and gave himself up on 2 Sep 2003. Rees was arrested in a pub in Coleford in the Forest of Dean on 14 May 2003.

Trial

Regan, Horncy and Rees went on trial at the Old Bailey on 8 Nov 2004. All denied murder and false imprisonment.

At the trial, Richard Horwell stated:

"He had once enjoyed the high life as a drug dealer who revelled in the name of Captain Cash and, true to his name, kept large sums of money in the boot of his Mercedes."

Michael Gledhill QC told the jury:

"Regan is extremely good at lying, he is thoroughly devious. "He is on the evidence of all sorts of witnesses a person who uses others and abuses them."

Michael Gledhill QC also said Regan had lied on a mortgage application by claiming he had been a partner in Mr Chohan’s Ciba business for several years and told friends similar stories, and he said:

"He was never a partner and never wanted to be. He wanted to own it. "

Michael Gledhill QC said:

Paul Mendelle said:

"would have had to be desperate beyond belief to slaughter an entire family for the sake of a business"

A further quote attributed to a defence submission included:

"Regan is extremely good at lying, he is thoroughly devious."

A quote read out on behalf of Onkar Verma included:

"The last two years have been a living nightmare. "The deliberate, premeditated slaughter of my innocent family is akin to me being given a life sentence - a life with no laughter, no happiness and no joy."

The jury took 13 days to come to its verdict.

Sentencing

On 5 Jul 2005, Regan and Horncy were sentenced to life in prison and the judge told them they should never be released. Rees was ordered to serve at least 23 years.

Judge Sir Stephen Mitchell told Horncy and Regan:

"Your crimes are uniquely terrible. "The cold-blooded murders of an eight-week-old baby and an 18-month-old toddler, not to mention the murders of their mother, father and grandmother, provide a chilling insight into the utterly perverted standards by which you have lived your lives. "Your characters are as despicable as your crimes. Each of you is a practised, resourceful and manipulative liar."

In sentencing, Judge Sir Stephen Mitchell described Regan and Horncy as “highly dangerous men”.

Appeals

After the conviction, Regan’s legal team maintained he was innocent and was planning to appeal.

Outcome

Regan was convicted in 2005 of murdering Amarjit Chohan, Chohan’s wife, Chohan’s mother-in-law and two sons. The bodies of the two sons, Devinder and Ravinder, were never found.

Peter Rees was convicted of Amarjit Chohan’s murder and of assisting an offender, but was cleared of killing four others.

Aftermath

On 23 February 2008, The Times revealed that Regan was one of around 50 prisoners who had been issued with whole life tariffs and were unlikely ever to be released.

Other details

• Regan was described by one of his co-defendants as a “psychopath”.
• Regan had changed his name by deed poll from Avery.
• Regan helped police with four major operations: Operation Bromley, Operation Hoy, Operation Extend and Operation Parisienne.
• The BBC News coverage described Regan’s nickname as “Captain Cash”, including an account that he drove a Mercedes and used expensive gifts, including a Cartier watch.
• The BBC News coverage stated that in 1998 he was jailed for his involvement in a heroin smuggling ring and a passport racket after agreeing to turn Queen’s evidence.
• It was stated that Regan was released in the summer of 2002.
• The BBC News coverage described Regan as reduced to living with his father in a bungalow in Wiltshire and driving a second-hand Peugeot 206.
• The BBC News coverage included a quote from Det Ch Insp Dave Little:

"A young family, a new family, was entirely wiped out at the hands of these murderous men, in an attempt to line their own pockets,"

• Police believe Regan deliberately chose the bronze pig in Newport, south Wales as a mocking rendezvous point, and undercover detectives monitored the rendezvous point.
• A note found in Amarjit Chohan’s sock pointed to convicted drug dealer Horncy as being his killer.
• After the sea dumpings, two bodies of women were recovered while the bodies of the two children were never found.
• The murder trial was described as the longest in the history of the Metropolitan Police and of the Old Bailey, and the trial cost more than £10m.