Chef used shot detective's name, court told

A chef charged with IRA membership as part of an investigation into a money-laundering racket once used the name of an Irish detective shot dead by paramilitaries, a court heard today.

Don Bullman, aged 30, admitted filling in an application form for a trade fair in the name of Jerry McCabe, the Garda detective who was killed by members of the IRA in a botched robbery, the Special Criminal Court in Dublin heard.

Detective Superintendent Diarmuid O’Sullivan told the court that Bullman revealed under questioning that he filled in the form, knew who Jerry McCabe was, and was aware that he was shot by republican paramilitaries.

The father of two, from Leghanamore, denied today he was a member of the IRA. He also denied in court that he had filled in the application form for the trade show.

Bullman was arrested last Wednesday afternoon outside Heuston railway station in Dublin along with two other men in a Northern Ireland-registered four-wheel-drive vehicle, the court heard.

He was detained under Section 30 of the Offences Against The State Act and subsequently charged with IRA membership.

The three-judge non-jury imposed a number of stringent conditions on Bullman’s bail.

The court heard he would be asked for a €500 bond and an independent surety of €30,000. He must live at his current address, sign on daily at a local garda station, give up his passport and undertake not to apply for a passport, and he must not leave Co Cork.

The caterer, who works around 70 hours per week and has no previous convictions, was also ordered not to associate with anyone who has been convicted of a serious offence.

The court was told today that Bullman’s fingerprints were found on a plastic bag covering a Daz washing powder box which had €94,000 stuffed inside it.

Mr O’Sullivan told the court the money was wrapped in three separate packages, buried at the bottom of the Daz box and covered with washing powder.

The detective superintendent said Bullman was found with two mobile phones. A number of text messages had been sent and received.

Mr O’Sullivan read two messages to the court. One read: “Don’t box that today. All I have is a back-sack so I put it in that.”

The second message read: “Get me a rate for 100. Make sure it’s a good rate. This guy’s consistent. If it’s not good he’ll walk away.”

The court heard Bullman denied any knowledge of the text messages when questioned by detectives.

Bullman, who claims to have had only two days off work since last November, denied being a member of the IRA.

He told the court: “No, I’m not a member of an illegal organisation, never was.”

Bullman also told the court he would abide by every bail condition imposed on him.

Mr O’Sullivan said the 30-year-old chef had major difficulties in answering certain questions after his arrest.

But the court heard Bullman openly admitted under police questioning using Det. Garda McCabe’s name when applying to the trade fair.

Mr O’Sullivan told the court: “Mr Bullman admitted that he had filled out this application form and that he knew who Jerry McCabe was and that he had been shot in Adare.”

The detective, based in Dublin, denied he had leaked this information to the media over the weekend.

Detective Garda McCabe was gunned down in a botched post office raid in June 1996 in Adare, Co Limerick.

His colleague Garda Ben Sullivan was injured in the attack.

Three IRA men, Pearse McCauley, Jeremiah Sheehy and Michael O’Neill were all jailed in connection with the killing.

The Special Criminal Court ordered the book of evidence to be served in the next three months and the case has been listed for May 24.