Hunt for criminal who goes on run

A GARDA hunt was underway yesterday after one of Dublin's top criminals went on the run just as he was due to be sentenced for armed robbery.

Jeffrey Mitchell, aged 29, of Monasterboice Road, Crumlin, had been on bail since he pleaded guilty in May to robbing £52,109 (66,131) in cash from businessman Daniel McCagney.

The robbery took place at the Tallaght bypass, west Dublin, on December 12, 2001. But as the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court sat to sentence him yesterday, he absconded.

Three others, Paul Atkinson, aged 24; Daniel Rogers, aged 23, and Ciara Nolan, aged 23, all from Tallaght, were also due to be sentenced, along with Mitchell, for the same offence. When the case was mentioned before the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in the morning, Judge Elizabeth Dunne was told that Mitchell had a number of cases listed in the Special Criminal Court in Green Street before Judge Joseph Matthews. Judge Dunne ordered that the accused go to Green Street and then return. Prosecuting counsel Dominic McGinn BL asked that Mitchell be transferred to Green Street in custody. She refused the application because she had no evidence as to why the accused should be put into custody. He had been remanded on continuing bail up until now. A short time later Judge Dunne issued a bench warrant for Mitchell’s arrest after being told that he had never arrived in Green Street. Judge Dunne adjourned the sentence of all four until July 29.

Mitchell is also due before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court at a later date in relation to charges of assaulting a prison officer in Mountjoy Jail.

The Garda National Drugs Unit has also sent a file regarding Mitchell to the DPP in connection with the seizure of a kilo of heroin, with a street value of 254,000, and 25,400 in cash, in Crumlin, south Dublin, last November. Supt John Manley of Crumlin Garda Station said: “He’s not living in Monasterboice at the moment. He would move around a lot in apartments and flats, but we will be checking out our contacts.”

Garda sources have expressed frustration that Mitchell had been granted bail in the first place, but expressed hope he would surface at some stage.