DO 'THE FOREST GATE TWO' HAVE CRIMINAL RECORDS?

Watching Newsnight last night 5th June Julian Young, the solicitor for Koyair, denied his client had a criminal record.

This contradicts the leaks dripped to David Leppard of The Sunday Times who wrote last Sunday

Government officials said both suspects had “extensive criminal records”. According to a well placed source, Kahar has previous convictions for theft, robbery, burglary and possession of a prohibited weapon involving a “noxious, liquid gas”, said to be CS spray.

Koyair was said to have convictions for burglary, two thefts and possession of a Stanley knife. Both men had spent time in youth offender institutes.

Is this some kind of operation to see how much can be gotten away with?