Prominent Dublin criminal goes on the run

A prominent Dublin criminal has gone on the run after absconding from Dublin Circuit Criminal Court where he was due to be sentenced today on serious armed robbery charges.

Jeffery Mitchell (29), form Monasterboice Road, Crumlin, pleaded guilty in May to the robbery of £52,109 in cash from businessman Daniel McCagney at the Tallaght by-pass on December 12, 2001.

Three others, Paul Atkinson (24), Daniel Rogers (23) and Ciara Nolan (23), all from Tallaght, were also due to be sentenced, along with Mitchell, for the same offence.

When the case was mentioned this morning Judge Elizabeth Dunne was told that Mitchell had a number of cases listed in the Green Street court before Judge Joseph Matthews.

Prosecuting counsel, Mr Dominic McGinn BL, said these cases may have been in relation to a suspended sentence imposed on Mitchell by Judge Matthews in April 2000. They may have been listed again because Mitchell was now in breach of that suspension.

Judge Dunne ordered that the accused go to Green Street and clarify the position in relation to those matters and then return so that he could be sentenced for the armed robbery.

Mr McGinn told Judge Dunne that he was instructed to ask 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.

Sergeant Caroline Maloney said she had followed the accused up towards the court but at some point he disappeared from her view and never arrived before Judge Matthews.

Judge Dunne adjourned the sentence of all four until July 29 after also being told that Atkinson had another case coming forward and it may be more appropriate to sentence each accused together.

She added that if Mitchell was not apprehended in the meantime she would deal with his three co-accused , in any event, on that day.

Mitchell is also due before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court at some point in relation to charges of assaulting a prison officer in Mountjoy. He has turned up in court at every prior hearing of both cases to answer to his bail.