Ronnie Biggs has finally been sent to prison this afternoon, 36 years after being found guilty of being one of the people who committed what became known as 'The Great Train Robbery'.
Mr Biggs was brought before West London Magistrates Court shortly before noon - just hours after surrendering to Scotland Yard detectives - and sent to Belmarsh prison in south east London after a brief court hearing.
The court appearance was the first step in a process that will return him to jail 36 years after his escape. He was arrested at 9.05 a.m. under a warrant for being unlawfully at large 20 minutes after arriving back in Britain.
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Ronnie Biggs
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He was not charged with any offence once District Judge Tim Workman was satisfied that the defendant was the person named in an arrest warrant issued following Mr Biggs escape.
Mr Biggs was asked to identify himself and confirm his date of birth, and also whether he was the person sentenced at Buckingham Assizes in 1964 for his part in the Great Train Robbery.
Mr Biggs, rendered speechless by a series of strokes, answered all three questions with a barely audible grunt.
A police doctor standing in front of the dock wiped spittle from Mr Biggs's chin with a handkerchief.
He appeared before the court following an arrest warrant issued at Bow Street Magistrates Court on July 27, 1990, under Section 72 of the Criminal Justice Act 1967 for being unlawfully at large from a prison.
The hearing, which began at 12.30pm, lasted eight minutes and the courtroom was attended by about 25 members of the press.
PA