Seven men charged with conspiracy to steal €1m

THERE was tight security yesterday as seven men were charged with conspiracy to rob almost €1 million from a cash-in-transit van last Friday.

The seven were arrested in a Tesco car park in Celbridge, Co Kildare, by a Garda undercover team.

They were detained over the weekend at separate Garda stations and taken to Kilmainham District Court yesterday morning.

Roads around the Dublin courthouse were blocked as seven unmarked Garda cars and two unmarked jeeps swooped into view, flanked by motorbike gardaí.

They pulled up in front of the courthouse, where they were met by a large number of media and people attending court as well as a crowd of builders on their morning break.

The accused were carried separately in the unmarked cars and were accompanied out of the vehicles by plain clothes detectives.

The seven men were greeted by a team of media photographers and cameramen as they were taken through the side entrance.

Armed and uniformed gardaí stood guard outside the courthouse, backed up by a number of plain clothes officers inside.

The court heard that all seven men were charged with conspiracy to commit theft contrary to common law. The cash-in-transit van that was allegedly being targeted was carrying €955,000, the court was told.

Michael Ryan, aged 34, with an address at Carton Drive, Poppintree, Ballymun, Dublin, was the first to be charged.

Garda Martin Mulligan of the Organised Crime Unit, applied for Ryan to be remanded in custody.

Solicitor for Ryan, Declan Fahy told the court that there had been reporting in the press which had been “extremely prejudicial”, particularly for those who had been named in the media.

Mr Fahy applied for bail under section two of the Bail Act, which stipulates strict reporting restrictions.

After hearing Garda Mulligan’s evidence, Judge John Lindsey refused bail and remanded Ryan in custody to appear before Cloverhill District Court on Thursday.

There was no application for bail afterwards for the other six, who were all remanded in custody.

Brothers Alan, aged 33, and Wayne Bradley, aged 28, were two of the six defendants. Garda Gerard Nixon told the court that Alan Bradley, from Cappagh Road, Finglas, Dublin, had “nothing to say” when he was charged.

Garda Rowan Casey said Wayne, of Ratoath Road, Finglas, did not say anything after he was charged.

Garda Brian Hanley told the court that Eamon Dunne, aged 31, with an address on Dunsoughly Drive, Ratoath Road, Finglas, said he was “absolutely innocent” when charged.

The other three men charged were Joseph Warren, aged 25, of Belclare Crescent, Ballymun, Darryl Caffrey, aged 23, of Cherry Park, River Valley, Swords, and Jeffrey Morrow, aged 25, of Hazelcroft Road, Finglas.

Caffrey was remanded in custody to Cloverhill until tomorrow. All the others will appear on Thursday.

All seven were taken from Kilmainham under tight security one hour after they arrived.