Accused claimed gardaí ‘wanted him to nail Phil Flynn’

THE man accused of laundering over £3 million from the Northern Bank robbery claimed that the gardaí wanted him to “nail” Phil Flynn, the former chairman of Bank of Scotland (Ireland), and that if he didn’t they would turn his family into the McBreartys of Donegal.

These allegations were made by Ted Cunningham through his defence counsel, Ciaran O’Loughlin in his trial at Cork Circuit Criminal Court yesterday.

It emerged during cross-examination and Mr O’Loughlin said Cunningham will say it in evidence later in the trial.

Cunningham, aged 60, of Woodbine Lodge, Farran, Co Cork , denies 20 charges of money-laundering arising out of the investigation of the robbery of the Northern Bank in Belfast in December 2004.

Detective Sergeant Gerry McCarthy was cross-examined by Mr O’Loughlin at length yesterday and the barrister said the detective and some of his colleagues wanted Cunningham to confirm in September 2005 interviews what he had told them in February 2005 interviews and not to depart from that.

“Mr Cunningham will tell the jury that you did tell him he was to stick to what he said in February and that Superintendent Quilter would be informed if he changed. (Otherwise) his family would go the same as the McBreartys in Donegal if he did not go along with what he said in February,” Mr O’Loughlin said.

Det Sgt McCarthy, now retired, rejected that.

Mr O’Loughlin alleged that the detective told Cunningham he was about to retire and it didn’t matter to him. He rejected that and said he retired because an unexpected opportunity arose and he had no intention of retiring at that time so he could not have said this to Cunningham.

“You told him you knew he was a decent family man and the person you were really trying to nail was Phil Flynn,” Mr O’Loughlin said.

Det Sgt McCarthy said: “I did not say that. I have no problem with Phil Flynn if he walked in here today.”

Counsel asked why in one interview Cunningham referred to Phil Flynn by name and in another he referred to him as Person Number One and similarly referred to Sinn Féin councillor Tom Hanlon by name and later as Person Number Three. The detective said he did not know why Cunningham did this.

Det Sgt McCarthy said he had asked Cunningham to describe the man from whom he received money on four occasions in January and February 2005 but that he didn’t pursue him about identifying the man as it was clear that Cunningham “didn’t want to go down that route”.

“What we suspected we were dealing with was an IRA cell and if somebody was reluctant to give any information about that, that was perfectly understandable and he was not under any pressure in that regard,” he said.

Mr O’Loughlin asked the witness many times why the September interviews — made by appointment with Cunningham — were held at Anglesea Street Garda station where there is no video-recording facility rather than the Bridewell where there is such a facility.

The detective replied that the Bridewell might have given the defendant the impression he was in custody if all of those interviews happened at the Bridewell and that Anglesea Street was more suitable and was a station often used for meeting dignitaries.

Mr O’Loughlin said: “I don’t think you’re suggesting he (Cunningham) was a celebrity.” At that point, Tom O’Connell, prosecuting counsel, interjected — to laughter from the jury — “He’s a celebrity now.”