An organized felony gang of at the very least 5 individuals with good native information have focused the Lordship Credit score Union over the theft that led to the deadly capturing of Garda Detective Adrian Donohoe, a lawyer instructed the Particular Prison Courtroom.
Lorcan Staines SC closes case for the State within the trial of two males accused of conspiring to commit a collection of “creeping burglaries” and participating within the deadly credit score union theft.
Mr Staines instructed the non-jury court docket on Monday that he’s counting on circumstantial proof involving CCTV footage and mobile phone information evaluation to indicate that Brendan Treanor, James Flynn and others had been in touch with one another and in close-proximity to the place the thefts of climbing vegetation occurred within the early hours of the morning.
In relation to the theft, Mr Staines stated that it was a indisputable fact that it was carried out by a gang of at the very least 5 individuals, 4 of whom climbed over the wall of the credit score union automobile park and approached the automobiles which had been to go away carrying an armed garda and money.
Mr. Staines stated there was a fifth individual driving the getaway automobile and the court docket can infer that others, together with automobile spotters offering real-time info, had been concerned within the timing and logistics.
Simply because the convoy of union and garda employees was about to go away the parking zone at round 9.30pm, a Volkswagen Passat blocked the doorway and the 4 looters climbed over the wall with “excellent timing,” the lawyer stated.
The credit score union got here underneath fireplace, Staines stated, as a result of it was robbed two years earlier, in August 2011, when looters bought away with greater than 22,000 in money plus checks. It was recognized regionally as “a goal the place good cash could possibly be made,” she stated.
There was proof Mr Treanor knew in regards to the earlier raid and, the solicitor stated, James Flynn “needed to know” as he lives “a stone’s throw” from the credit score union.
Driver
The court docket may additionally be satisfied that the motive force of the getaway automobile was a talented driver, able to touring at excessive velocity on moist roads. The driving force was conscious of native again roads resulting in the distant rural space throughout the border in South Armagh the place a Volkswagen Passat allegedly used within the raid was burnt down.
James Flynn, the lawyer stated, instructed Northern Eire Police he’s from that space, is aware of these roads and will take any variety of completely different routes to get round.
Mr Staines stated there may be proof these concerned had border area accents and from all of the proof, the court docket could possibly be satisfied they had been coping with a neighborhood gang.
The solicitor stated there was additional proof that the alleged gang members checked the Garda’s response occasions 4 days earlier after they known as the Garda at James Flynn’s Dunroamin Home, claiming some males had been within the courtyard.
Mr Staines pointed to additional proof that radio scanners and walkie-talkies have been discovered at Dunroamin Home. The lawyer stated these aren’t one-of-a-kind objects, nevertheless it’s one other “coincidence” that the walkie-talkies had been used within the Signoria theft.
He additional identified what the prosecution alleges had been two scoping workout routines on the Lordship Credit score Union by Aaron Brady and James Flynn the day earlier than the theft and earlier on the day of the theft.
Mr Staines stated the gang concerned knew the Garda escort can be armed which is why they took the additional threat of carrying a rifle and pistol.
It’s clear from CCTV footage, he stated, that the 4 males who handed the wall knew which automobile contained the armed Garda as the lads with weapons moved instantly in direction of it. The others used a hammer to smash the home windows of the automobiles that held the cash.
Automobile stolen
Mr. Staines additionally sought to hyperlink the 2 defendants and Aaron Brady to the theft of the Passat that was allegedly used within the theft.
The Passat, he stated, was stolen exterior a home in Clogherhead, County Louth, within the early hours of January 23, 2013.
Mr Staines confirmed the court docket CCTV footage paired with phone messages and calls between numerous telephones which he stated establishes that at 1.55am, Jimmy Flynn arrived on the dwelling of Aaron Brady’s then girlfriend to get him out and “up within the automobile to allow them to drive to Clogherhead to steal the Volkswagen Passat that was used within the homicide of Detective Garda Donohoe.”
Mr Staines used CCTV to indicate what he stated was Mr Flynn’s automobile touring south in direction of Clogherhead, searching for a automobile to steal earlier than returning north ‘in convoy’ within the stolen Passat.
On the day of the theft, Mr Staines stated the telephones of 5 individuals allegedly concerned within the theft, together with Mr Flynn and Mr Treanor, went off concurrently shortly earlier than the theft.
He requested the court docket to think about whether or not this could possibly be a coincidence, including, “At what level does coincidence turn into an affront to widespread sense?”
Mr. Staines additionally detailed quite a few automobile thefts in 2012 and 2013, which he says could also be linked to the “gang”.
The solicitor used mobile phone information and CCTV from exterior Dunroamin Home to indicate what he stated had been hyperlinks between Mr Treanor, Mr Flynn, Brady and the automobiles which had been subsequently stolen.
On 11 January 2013, Mr Staines stated a Toyota Avensis with a sat nav was stolen from exterior a home in Mullingar. Prosecutors say the identical sat nav was recovered three months later when Garda stopped and searched James Flynn’s father, Eugene Flynn Snr, at Dublin Airport.
When Garda analyzed the sat nav, she noticed that it had plotted journeys so far as Dunroamin Home. CCTV confirmed that at 4.23am on 30 January 2013 a automobile left Dunroamin Home and on the similar time the sat nav recorded a journey from Dunroamin Home in direction of Belfast Worldwide Airport.
Mr Flynn, the lawyer stated, has beforehand claimed he went to a Manchester United match at Outdated Trafford on that date.
Mr Staines stated the sat nav then confirmed a return journey from round Belfast airport heading to Dunroamin Home the next day.
Bills
He stated there may be proof to fulfill the court docket past an inexpensive doubt that the accused males had been concerned within the vine thefts.
Brendan Treanor (34), previously of Emer Terrace, Castletown Street, Dundalk, Co Louth, and James Flynn (32), of South Armagh, are charged with the theft of seven,000 individuals on the Lordship Credit score Union in Bellurgan, Co Louth on 25 January , 2013.
Each males are additionally accused of conspiring between September 11, 2012 and January 23, 2013, along with Aaron Brady, the Garda murderer, and others, to interrupt right into a residential constructing with intent to steal the keys to the machine.
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The prosecution alleges that Mr. Treanor and Mr. Flynn had been a part of a gaggle of youths who conspired to interrupt into homes to steal automobile keys after which quietly escape within the automobiles.
They pleaded not responsible to every cost.
Aaron Brady (31), previously of New Street, Crossmaglen, Co Armagh, is serving a life sentence with a minimal of 40 years having been discovered responsible of the homicide of Det Gda Adrian Donohoe and the Lordship theft. He has denied any involvement within the theft and is awaiting an enchantment in opposition to his conviction.
Mr Staines will proceed his closing speech in relation to the Lordship Credit score Union theft on Tuesday. Counsel for the 2 defendants will start their speeches on Wednesday.
