Kevin Meredith always stuck to his story that he agreed to drive a speedboat because he owed one of the gang £1,400 which he could not repay.

The father-of-two said he had never been involved in any crime, although he admitted he once appeared before magistrates for not having a TV licence.

Of his arrest, Meredith told The Argus: "It was absolutely terrifying. It was horrible when that door was shut behind me."

The 35-year-old maintained he had no idea there was a plan to steal the diamonds and said he became an unwitting partner in crime because he did not stand up for himself when he could not repay the cash he owed to William Cockram.

Part of his defence was that Cockram had told him to drive the boat, saying: "Remember your wife and kids."

Meredith grew up in Brighton and was a pupil at Longhill School, Rottingdean.

His father Les Meredith, who lives in Ovingdean, always had boats and the young Meredith went into the charter boat business when he left school at 16.

It was his fishing expeditions from Brighton Marina, where his 33ft vessel Random Harvest is moored, which led to his encounter with Cockram.

He said: "Bill (Cockram) had been out fishing on the boat in Brighton a couple of times. I was telling him about problems with the boat and that the moorings were due. I was speaking to him generally."

Meredith said he told Cockram in passing that he needed some cash for bills for the boat and said he was shocked when Cockram offered him the money.

He said he had not asked for a loan and was surprised at the offer: "He said he would lend me the money but you know what people are like."

News of his arrest sent shock waves through the marina.

One colleague said: "He's a great bloke but a bit naive."

Mike Snelling, who runs the 43ft Girl Gray charter vessel at the Marina, has known Meredith for 20 years and had nothing but good to say about him.

The 60-year-old retired pilot said: "He's a pleasant lad, very sociable, cheerful and helpful. He likes a joke and is always pleasant.

"We were all taken by surprise when this happened and Kevin's name came up. "I reckon he was drawn in to all this by villains."

On the day of the attempted raid, Meredith's dramatic arrest was filmed from a helicopter as police boats moved in.

Police Sergeant Clive Rew said: "When I got to within about 70yds of the boat I had my weapon trained on him. As soon as I got to within shouting distance I said: 'Armed police. Stand still'."

Meredith was carrying a transceiver and a mobile phone with an earpiece.