Three men get combined total of 32 years for attempted security van heist

A north-inner-city Dublin man has been given 16 years in consecutive sentences by Judge Katherine Delahunt at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for his role in an attempted Securicor cash van heist while he was on bail for having cocaine for sale or supply.

Two other accomplices were given eight-year sentences for their involvement in the failed attempted armed raid on the cash van which was foiled by gardaí who had mounted a surveillance operation.

Michael Taylor (aged 28) and Graham Byrne (aged 34) were caught in possession of a 9mm pistol, which had a bullet in the breach ready to be fired, when gardaí found them sitting in a stolen van parked directly opposite the steel door of the strong room at AIB in Sandyford Business Park on August 23, 2007.

Stephen Fagan (aged 32) was found with a radio scanner tuned into Garda and Securicor radio frequencies, sitting in another stolen vehicle nearby and tried to ram the Garda patrol cars that had blocked him in. All three were wearing two sets of clothing and gloves.

Detective Garda Jim Mulligan told prosecuting counsel Mr Dominic McGinn BL that the surveillance operation had been launched at Sandyford Business Park as a result of confidential information.

He said the van was loaded with €200,000 cash and the staff were due to remove a further €54,000 from the ATM when gardaí who had mounted a surveillance operation as a result of confidential information intervened so as to save any possible injury or threat to lives.

Byrne of Sean McDermot Street, and Fagan of Rutland Street Lower, all Dublin 1, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit robbery of Securicor personnel making a delivery of cash at AIB on August 23, 2007. Fagan also pleaded guilty to unlawful use of a stolen car on the same date

Taylor, of Summerhill, Dublin 1 also pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine worth €70,000 for sale or supply after gardaí caught him in what was described as "a drug-mixing factory" at a Garrettstown, Co Dublin house on July 26, 2006.

Taylor had previous convictions for road traffic offences. Fagan had 36 previous convictions, mainly for assault, larceny, public order and road traffic offences.

Byrne had 31 previous convictions which included a 10-year sentence for aggravated burglary, robbery and conspiracy to commit a crime. This was later reduced to a seven-year sentence on appeal.

Judge Delahunt imposed two consecutive eight-year sentences on Taylor with the final three years suspended and imposed eight-year sentences on Byrne and Fagan.

Detective Garda Mulligan said gardaí found Taylor wearing a balaclava in the van at Sandyford Business Park and noticed a second balaclava on the van floor, while Fagan had two sets of car keys belonging to stolen vehicles, which were later found parked nearby with false registration plates fitted.

Both Taylor and Byrne relied on their right to silence during the Garda interviews while Fagan said he was there to "pick up something for someone" to whom he said he "owed €100,000" because he lost drugs he had been holding.

Detective Garda Mulligan said Fagan admitted being in possession of the stolen car but denied knowing both Byrne and Taylor and claimed he had not been involved in the planned robbery.

Detective Garda Richie Byrne told prosecuting counsel, Mr Fergal Foley BL, that gardaí found a kilo of cocaine, 29 bags of mixing agent, a blender and mixing bowls laid out on a table in the Garrettstown house.

Detective Garda Byrne agreed with Taylor’s defence counsel, Mr Patrick Marrinan SC (with Mr Sean Gillane BL), that two other men, including one who had been working in a bank at the time, were the actual targets of the Garda surveillance operation at the Garrettstown house in July 2006.

Taylor said he "owed €1,300" to these two men as a result of a so-called "drug debt" and he had agreed to buy a blender and mixing bowls for the operation.

Detective Garda Byrne accepted Mr Marrrinan’s suggestion that it "could be possible" that these two men asked Taylor to give them the book of evidence in this case to check if his admissions had identified them.

Mr Patrick Marrinan SC (with Mr Sean Gillane BL), defending Taylor, told Judge Delahunt that his client was in the bottom 10th-percentile group of intelligence and asked her to take into account that his previous convictions did not include crimes of violence.

He said Taylor intended to get counselling while serving his sentence so that on release from prison he could be a better father and a more useful member of society.

Mr Luan Ó Braonáin SC (with Mr Sean Guerin BL), defending Byrne, said a letter from the prison chaplain stated that he was "impressed with Byrne’s new wisdom" since his remand in custody.

He said Byrne was a father of three who apologised to the court and society for his involvement in the offence and wished to engage in "a real and meaningful way" in the community when released from prison.

Mr Patrick MacEntee SC (with Mr Luigi Rea BL), for Fagan, said his client was "thoroughly ashamed of himself" and knew that he had broken his mother’s heart.

Mr MacEntee said none of Fagan’s family had ever been in trouble with the gardaí before and he insisted that his mother not visit him in jail because it would upset her too much.

He asked that part of Fagan’s sentence be suspended on condition that he attend a drug treatment centre on his release from prison so as to "give him hope".