Three years for ATM thief

A man who took €71,000 from the back an unlocked ATM machine has been given a three years sentence by Judge Patrick McCarten at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Patrick Ward (aged 24) of Belcamp Lane, Coolock pleaded guilty to the theft of €71,000 on June 8, 2006 at the Texaco garage in Ringsend.

Garda Stephen Homan from Irishtown Garda Station told prosecuting counsel, Mr Colm Ó Briain BL, that Ward entered the store room at the back of the garage through a door that was open.

He took the money from the back of the unlocked ATM machine and put it into two empty crisp boxes, walked out of the storeroom with the boxes and drove away in his Toyota Corona.

Garda Homan said all of Ward’s action had being captured on CCTV . He said it was easy to identify Ward as he was not wearing a disguise and his finger prints were recovered from the ATM machine.

Garda Homan said that none of the €71,000 has being recovered and garda enquiries are continuing.

Mr Philip Rhan BL, defending, said Ward was addicted to crack-cocaine at the time and was only a "gofer" in this crime from which he got €5,000.

Mr Rhan said his client was contacted by two men and told by them to go and do the theft. When Ward handed them the cache he was criticised for collecting only two boxes of money from the ATM machine.

Mr O Briain said that the gardai were still investigating the crime and were interested in questioning two men from Northern Ireland.

Judge McCarten noted that the ATM machine had being unlocked on "that particular day" and Ward had done the job on "that particular day".

He questioned defence counsel’s claim that Ward was a "gofer" because he said "Rather than being a part of the job, he had actually gone out and carried out the theft." "

Judge McCarten expressed concern that none of the €71,000 has yet being recovered. "This was a very well planned crime," he said.

He suspended the final 18 months of the sentence after noting that Ward was now drug free and didn’t have "a significant record at this stage of his life".