Accused arrived in Ireland days before €1.1m heist

A man arrived from Lithuania a couple of days before a €1.1m armed robbery took place at a Galway city jewellers, a trial heard today.

Irmantas Paulauskas, aged 38, of no fixed abode, was wrestled to the ground by detectives, assisted by members of the public, at Middle St, Galway, moments after a four-man armed gang robbed €1.1m worth of diamond rings and Rolex watches from Hartmann jewellers on William St in Galway City on the morning of February 11, 2015.

Mr Paulauskas has pleaded not guilty before Galway Circuit Criminal Court to the robbery of 208 diamond rings and 32 Rolex watches from Richard Hartmann. He also denies a second charge of having an imitation pistol with a silencer fitted, in his possession with intent to commit robbery on the same date.