Diamond 'robbery' scam artists jailed

Two Dublin men involved in a staged robbery of diamonds valued at almost €300,000 have been jailed and a third conspirator may be directed to carry out community service.

Gerry Coates (aged 45), Pinebrook Lawn, Hartstown was jailed for 18 months with the final six suspended after he pleaded guilty that on December 1, 2004 he dishonestly and for his own gain induced another person to believe that diamonds worth €287,185 were the subject of a theft.

Mark (aged 26) and Alan Dunne (aged 25) both of The Heath Square, McKee Avenue, Finglas, who pleaded guilty to knowingly making false statements to gardaí intending to show that an offence had been committed on December 2, 2004 were also dealt with by Judge Katherine Delahunt at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Judge Delahunt jailed Mark Dunne for six months saying that he had played a larger role in the operation than Alan Dunne who may be ordered to perform community service. The Dunnes are not related.

Detective Garda Declan Birchall told Mr Garrett Baker BL, prosecuting, that the "apparent victim", referred to as "Mr S" was the Irish-based sales representative of an English diamond wholesalers.

He planned the "mock robbery" as an insurance scam and, through an Irish contact, got in touch with another man, referred to as "Mr G", who was related to Mark Dunne.

Mark Dunne then contacted Alan Dunne and Coates. Both Dunnes agreed to act as witnesses for the robbery while Coates took on the role of the robber.

Det Gda Birchall said gardai came across "Mr S", who still has to be dealt with by the courts, with the Dunnes on Upper Gardiner Street. "Mr S" claimed he had been sprayed in the eye with a substance when he was getting into his jeep and a case full of diamonds was stolen from him.

The Dunnes told gardai that they had come across a distressed "Mr S" while out walking on and called gardai but said they had not witnessed the theft.

Det Gda Birchall said the diamonds were valued at €289,185. There were 70 different types of stone in the case ranging from ½ carat to a size slightly larger than a spec of dust which "Mr S" was delivering the diamonds to a nearby jewellers.

A quantity of the diamonds, valued at €113,263 had been recovered but an amount worth €173,921 remained outstanding.

Det garda Birchall said that a vital breakthrough occurred when Detective Garda Martin Flood stopped Coates on the Hartstown Road during a routine traffic check point.

Coates appeared nervous and gardai noted a digital scales on his passenger seat. They searched him on suspicion of possession of drugs and found a quantity of the stolen diamonds.

He immediately admitted the scam and said the earlier robbery had been a set-up. He identified the Dunnes, "Mr S" and "Mr G" as being involved.

Coates said that after "robbing" "Mr S", by spraying mace in his jeep and taking the case from his lap, he met up with "Mr G" in a pub on Dorset Street where the jewels were divided up.

Coates said Mark Dunne had contacted him the previous night and asked him to get involved. He thought it was easy money and expected to make €5,000 - €10,000 for Christmas.

Det garda Birchall said that although the Dunnes were aware that Coates had confessed and had implicated them, they both made false and misleading witness statements to gardai relating to the alleged theft. They eventually admitted their involvement in the scam.

Mark Dunne said he received a call from "Mr G" two weeks prior to the "mock robbery" and was asked to take "something" off him. He agreed to be a witness to the "robbery" and brought in Alan Dunne as a second witness. He thought the diamonds were worth Stg £50,000 - £60,000 and he expected to make €2,000 from the deal.

Det garda Birchall said neither Dunne had come to the attention of gardai previously and Coates had one previous conviction in May 1999 for domestic violence.

Det garda Birchall agreed with Mr Diarmuid McGuinness SC defending, that Alan Dunne had no involvement in the planning of the scam and was never in possession of the diamonds.

He also agreed that Alan Dunne had been persuaded by both "Mr S" and "Mr G" to stick to his original story even though he was aware of Coates’s confession. He accepted that the remorse expressed by him in the garda station was genuine.

He agreed with Mr Patrick Gageby SC for Mark Dunne, that it was chiefly Mr S and Mr G who stood to make the substantial profit from the enterprise.