Lee Murray

Lee Brahim Lamrani-Murray (born 12 November 1977) is a Moroccan-British convicted bank robber and former mixed martial artist. where around £53 million in cash belonging to the Bank of England was stolen by Murray and his associates. It was the largest known cash robbery in the world during peacetime. As of 2025, Murray is incarcerated in Tiflet, Morocco. UFC president Dana White said in 2008 regarding Murray: "He's a scary son of a bitch, and I don't mean fighter-wise".

Early life Murray was born on 12 November 1977 in St Nicholas' Hospital, Plumstead. His mother, Barbara Murray, hailed from Bermondsey, south London. She was a hairdresser and later a telephonist. On a holiday to Gran Canaria she met Lee's father, Brahim Lamrani, a kitchen hand from Sidi Ifni, Morocco. Lee was initially raised by his mother while Brahim continued to live and work in the Canary Islands. Brahim later moved to England and married Barbara in 1984. Lee had one sibling, a sister named Rkia born in 1985. Murray competed in his first MMA bout on 5 December 1999 at an event called "Millennium Brawl", which was held at Hemel Hempstead Pavilion. He knocked out his opponent Rob Hudson in the first round. Fight promoter Andy Jardine stated: "He was so quick they called him 'Lightning' Lee Murray." After Albandia surprised Murray by performing a single-leg takedown, Murray sprawled then applied an achilles lock, stating afterwards that "I think it must have snapped because there was a real loud crack". Murray won the fight by submission and advanced to the final round, where he faced Joe Doerksen, a Canadian submission specialist who held a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Doerksen submitted Murray in the first round with an armbar.

Tito Ortiz brawl, road rage incident Back in England, Murray continued to fight on the regional scene, including a draw against Chris Bacon in 2001. The following year, while outside a nightclub after the UFC 38 event in London in July 2002, Murray became involved in a street fight with then-UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz. Murray reportedly knocked Ortiz out with a five-punch combination then kicked him in the head when he was on the ground. This version of events was repeated in Matt Hughes' 2008 autobiography. Pat Miletich was on the scene and stated that he and Tony Fryklund subsequently intervened to stop Murray from stomping Ortiz's head on the ground. Ortiz denied he was knocked out, stating that he had instead slipped due to wearing dress shoes. Chuck Liddell, who also participated in the street fight, said Ortiz had been knocked down but was not knocked unconscious. The story of the street fight spread and made Murray well-known in MMA circles. Two months later, Murray knocked out Pride FC veteran Amir Rahnavardi with a left-hook four seconds into the first round.

UFC debut, visa issues, stabbing In January 2004, Murray's wife Siobhan gave birth to their second child, a son named Lee. Later that month, Murray travelled to the United States to make his debut in the UFC. He was taken down by Rivera early in the first round but caught him in a triangle armbar, which forced Rivera to submit. Although he had won the fight, the UFC were displeased with Murray as he did not reveal that he was under active criminal investigation in the United Kingdom.

On 28 September 2005, Murray was hospitalised after being stabbed in a brawl outside the Funky Buddha nightclub during the 21st birthday party of British glamour model Lauren Pope. He suffered a punctured lung and a severed artery. Murray underwent open-heart surgery and required 30 pints in blood transfusions, but survived. By December, he was back in the gym and resumed training, although he was not as fierce as before. Murray's friend Mehmet Kavez stated in 2009: "Being to death and back changes a man, you know?" This was an example of a tiger kidnapping. In the early hours of 22 February, the robbers arrived at the depot; Dixon was transported in a car and was followed by a 7.5-tonne lorry. The robbers were armed and held the staff inside the depot at gunpoint while loading cash into the lorry. The gang stole £52,996,760 in banknotes; they left over £153 million behind due to insufficient space in the lorry. Murray was named as the "mastermind" of the robbery and identified as the individual who police had nicknamed "Stopwatch", as he carried a stopwatch during the heist and timed the actions of the other robbers. The gang conducted the robbery at the depot in under an hour.

Murray had previously been cautioned by Kent Police in July 2005 for loitering in a car along with two unidentified men on a road which overlooked the depot. A week prior to the robbery, Murray crashed his yellow Ferrari 360 Modena on the New Kent Road then fled the scene. He was arrested by nearby police officers but was released. After the robbery, police re-examined the Ferrari which had been impounded and found two burner phones containing numbers and photographs of other gang members. On one of the phones, police discovered a recording in which Murray talked to one of the robbers, Lea Rusha, about how they would carry out the heist. Rusha was also a mixed martial artist and knew Murray through the sport. Murray refurbished the villa, adding decorations such as a statue of himself and a mural depicting his victorious UFC debut.

On 25 June 2006, Murray was at the Mega Mall in Rabat, alongside Allen, Armitage and Basar. Dozens of armed Moroccan police officers participated in the operation as the suspects were deemed dangerous. After a brief physical struggle, all four men were arrested. Murray was re-arrested later in February after the UK filed an extradition request in connection to the Securitas depot robbery. Murray's lawyer Abdullah Benlemhidi said extraditing Murray would be illegal as he holds Moroccan citizenship. The Moroccan supreme court granted permission for the extradition in May 2007, pending appeal. The extradition request was overturned in June 2009 after Murray was determined to be entitled to Moroccan citizenship. The UK then lodged an appeal to the Moroccan government, which invoked a law that allows foreign prosecutors to try Moroccan citizens for foreign crimes if the trial is held on Moroccan soil. Also that month, Murray attempted to escape from custody but the plan was foiled when another prisoner discovered small saws in his cell and informed the prison guards.

In June 2010, Murray was found guilty in a Moroccan court for his role in the Securitas depot robbery and received a 10-year prison sentence. Kent Police argued the sentence was too lenient and it was increased to 25 years in November 2010, after Murray's appeal was dismissed. In 2011, it was announced that Murray's assets in Morocco would be confiscated by police and proceeds would go to insurers. Murray stated in a 2018 interview with Bloody Elbow that he continued to train while in prison and still planned a UFC comeback, with the hope of securing a pardon from King Mohammed VI of Morocco. As of 2021, Murray was incarcerated in a maximum-security prison in Tiflet, northwest Morocco.

In popular culture Murray was chronicled by ESPN in an E:60 segment in August 2008. Also that month, Time Inc. announced that they planned to make a film about Murray and the Securitas depot robbery, based on an April 2008 Sports illustrated article called "Breaking the Bank". In addition to the robbery, the film was set to be a biopic on Murray, including his mixed martial arts career. Variety reported in 2009 that Darren Aronofsky would produce and direct the film. Aronofsky later dropped out of the project to focus instead on the film Noah. In 2012, Deadline Hollywood stated that Gareth Evans had replaced Aronofsky and XYZ Films was set to produce the film, which would be based on the Sports Illustrated article as well as Howard Sounes' 2009 book Heist: The True Story of the World's Biggest Cash Robbery. The film ultimately did not come to fruition.

In 2021, UFC Fight Pass released a 25-minute documentary, "Fightlore: Lee Murray's Crimes and Misadventures", which featured interviews with MMA fighter Pat Miletich and Murray's former boxing trainer Terry Coulter, where they shared their experiences with Murray. In 2023, Showtime aired a four-episode docuseries about Murray and the Securitas depot robbery, titled Catching Lightning.

Mixed martial arts record Loss

Anderson Silva Decision (unanimous) Cage Rage 8

London, England Win

Jorge Rivera Submission (triangle armbar) UFC 46

Las Vegas, Nevada Win

Jose Landi-Jons KO (punches) EF 1: Genesis

London, England Win

Amir Rahnavardi KO (punch) Millennium Brawl 8

High Wycombe, England Win

Kama Boumna Submission (armbar) Millenium Brawl 7

High Wycombe, England Win

Gary Warren KO (punch) MB 3: Independence Day

High Wycombe, England Draw

Chris Bacon Draw MB 2: Capital Punishment

High Wycombe, England NC

Danny Rushton No Contest ROT 2: Ring of Truth 2

England Loss

Joe Doerksen Submission (armbar)

Win

Chris Albandia Submission (ankle lock)

Win

Mike Tomlinson Submission (kimura) ROT 1: Ring of Truth 1

England Win

Rob Hudson KO (punches) MB 1: The Beginning

England