A cybercriminal who orchestrated an attempted £2m cryptocurrency theft from his cell at HMP Edinburgh has been jailed for eight years. Robert Barr, 29, ordered Sean Favier, 26, and Iain Doyle, 37, to steal digital assets from two homes in Midlothian while he was serving a 21-month sentence. All three had pleaded guilty to involvement in serious organised crime, with Favier sentenced to four years and Doyle to five years at the High Court in Glasgow.
Lord Cubie told the gang the attempt "married 21st Century computer sophistication with old fashioned housebreaking" and was "apparently devised and directed from a prison cell", frustrated only when the victims "had sense not to open the front door at 11:30pm to unknown men dressed in dark clothing with their faces obscured."
Barr was serving a 21-month sentence for fraud and having illicit mobile phones in prison at the time. The first raid took place in January 2024 and targeted a co-founder of a cryptocurrency start-up. One of the items stolen after the initial theft was a cryptocurrency wallet, but the raiders did not have the PIN to access the funds. Barr later messaged an associate: "I had his house robbed a few months ago by boys in here." Prosecutor David Dickson KC said Barr indicated the man's cryptocurrency might be worth upwards of £2m and displayed knowledge that the man's "own coin" was worth £1m.
Before the second attempt on 17 April 2024, Barr texted an associate: "I'm going to send u a website for the boys to make him go on," and said the men could phone him on Telegram, adding that a programme to access the computer remotely would need to be downloaded "rapid" to help get the crypto. The court heard the man and his wife were at home when she became aware of knocking at the front door. The man saw two figures in dark clothing with hoods pulled up and told his wife not to open the door. One of the men looked into the doorbell camera and said: "Is that a camera right in front of me?" before the pair walked off as they tried to hide their faces.
Barr's phone was seized on 25 June 2024. Dickson said examination found it contained details of Barr's involvement in organising and providing specialist support to criminal associates to conduct crypto-theft. The court heard Favier did not know Doyle before that night, and Doyle was said to have become involved not fully knowing what he was to be part of.
Prosecutors described Barr as having the "ability to orchestrate a level of criminality rarely seen within mainstream investigations." Barr's lawyer, Michael Anderson KC, said: "It might be a source of frustration to a number of people that someone who has skills that are pretty unusual could not put them to better use and legally."
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The case shows prisoners can continue directing serious crime from inside using smuggled phones and remote-access tools.
- It highlights how people known to hold cryptocurrency, especially through their social media activity, can become targets for coordinated theft.
- The sentences treat crypto theft as serious organised crime requiring a prison response, not a minor computer offence.
Background
Prison is meant to sever contact with criminal networks, but illicit mobile phones have long allowed inmates to keep communicating with the outside world. This case also fits a wider pattern of criminals combining physical break-ins with digital theft to target people believed to hold cryptocurrency.
Key Perspectives
- Lord Cubie: the crime "married 21st Century computer sophistication with old fashioned housebreaking" and was "devised and directed from a prison cell", frustrated only by the victims' caution.
- Prosecution (David Dickson KC): Barr had the "ability to orchestrate a level of criminality rarely seen within mainstream investigations".
- Defence (Michael Anderson KC): it "might be a source of frustration" that someone with unusual skills "could not put them to better use and legally".
What to Watch
- Whether investigators recover the cryptocurrency wallet stolen in the first raid and whether anyone can gain access to it without the PIN.
- Whether the case prompts scrutiny of how Barr obtained and used phones inside HMP Edinburgh.
- Whether any of the sentences are appealed.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 11 supported.
Show each claim
- Partly supportedThe headline says Barr ran a £2m crypto-theft plot from prison.BBC Scotland: “This was an attempted crime that married 21st Century computer sophistication with old fashioned housebreaking in an audacious attempt to steal cryptocurrency of up to £2m.”
- SupportedBarr was jailed for eight years.BBC Scotland: “A "sophisticated cybercriminal" who orchestrated an attempted £2m cryptocurrency theft from his prison cell has been jailed for eight years.”
- SupportedBarr ordered Favier and Doyle to steal digital assets from two Midlothian homes while he was in HMP Edinburgh.BBC Scotland: “Robert Barr, 29, ordered Sean Favier, 26, and Iain Doyle, 37, to steal digital assets from two homes in Midlothian while he was a prisoner at HMP Edinburgh.”
- SupportedAll three pleaded guilty to involvement in serious organised crime.BBC Scotland: “All three had earlier pled guilty to a charge of being involved in serious organised crime at a hearing in Edinburgh.”
- SupportedFavier was sentenced to four years.BBC Scotland: “At the High Court in Glasgow, Lord Cubie sentenced Favier to four years and Doyle to five years.”
- SupportedDoyle was sentenced to five years.BBC Scotland: “At the High Court in Glasgow, Lord Cubie sentenced Favier to four years and Doyle to five years.”
- SupportedLord Cubie said the attempt “married 21st Century computer sophistication with old-fashioned housebreaking”.BBC Scotland: “This was an attempted crime that married 21st Century computer sophistication with old fashioned housebreaking”
- SupportedLord Cubie said the attempt was “apparently devised and directed from a prison cell”.BBC Scotland: “It was apparently devised and directed from a prison cell”
- SupportedBarr messaged an associate, “I had his house robbed a few months ago by boys in here.”BBC Scotland: “I had his house robbed a few months ago by boys in here.”
- SupportedDickson said Barr indicated the victim’s cryptocurrency might be worth upwards of £2m and that his “own coin” was worth £1m.BBC Scotland: “David Dickson KC said Barr indicated to another person that the cryptocurrency owned by the man may be worth upwards of £2m. The prosecutor added: "He displayed knowledge that he knew the man had been involved with cryptocurrency since it first emerged and that the [man's] 'own coin' was worth £1m."”
- SupportedThe first raid took place in January 2024 and targeted a cryptocurrency start-up co-founder.BBC Scotland: “The first raid took place in January 2024 and targeted a man who was a co-founder of a cryptocurrency start-up.”
- SupportedDuring the second attempt, one of the men said, “Is that a camera right in front of me?”BBC Scotland: “The court heard one of the men looked into the lens and said: "Is that a camera right in front of me?"”
