Chef gets four years for IRA membership

A CORK city chef arrested with over €94,000 in cash hidden in a washing powder box continued to deny any involvement with the IRA yesterday as he was sentenced to four years in prison on conviction for membership of the organisation.

Don Bullman, aged 32, told the Special Criminal Court he never had been and never would be involved in subversive activities and had character witnesses give glowing references.

His plea of innocence did not impress the non-jury court’s three judges, however, who pointed out that they had found beyond reasonable doubt that he was an IRA member.

Mr Justice Paul Butler said Bullman’s attitude meant his offer to give an undertaking to avoid all contact with the IRA or people associated with it in the future was not sufficient to suspend his sentence.

Bullman, a father-of-two who also supports his deceased brother’s four children, will now serve at least three years in jail with remission for good behaviour. His childhood sweetheart and partner of 14 years, Maura, cried as sentence was passed.

Bullman, of Fernwood Crescent, Leghanamore, Wilton, Cork, was convicted last month of IRA membership arising from garda investigations into money laundering following the Northern Bank robbery in 2004.

His trial heard detectives got a tip-off that he was meeting up with others at Heuston Station in 2005 “with a view to transferring some of the finances as part of that robbery”.

At Heuston Station he was observed getting into a parked jeep with a rucksack. When arrested, the rucksack was on the seat with a washing-powder box sticking out of it. Bank notes totalling €94,250 were found wrapped in cling film in the bottom of the box, covered by powder.

Other evidence against him included mobile phone records, documents and the discovery of £60,000 (€87,818) at the home of an alleged associate. Bullman denied knowing this man and pleaded not guilty throughout his trial.

The court heard that Bullman and his partner had two children, aged 14 and 8, but also shared their home with his recently deceased brother’s four children, aged six years to seven months, and their mother. He was their main support as his partner had limited earnings from part-time book-keeping.

The four-year sentence was backdated by one week to begin on March 7.

The €94,250 is to be the subject of a Police Property Act hearing in which the prosecution will seek to have the money forfeited to the State.