Gardaí 'wanted money-laundering accused to 'nail' former bank chairman'

The man accused of laundering over £3m from the Northern Bank robbery claimed today that the gardaí wanted him to "nail" Phil Flynn – former chairman of Bank of Scotland (Ireland) and that if didn’t they would turn his family into the McBreartys of Donegal.

These allegations were made by Ted Cunningham through his senior counsel, Ciaran O’Loughlin in his trial at Cork Circuit Criminal Court today. It emerged during cross-examination and Mr O’Loughlin said Cunningham will say it in evidence later in the trial.

Ted Cunningham, aged 60, of Woodbine Lodge, Farran, Co Cork, denies 20 charges of money-laundering arising out of the investigation of the robbery of the Northern Bank in Belfast in December 2004.

Detective Sergeant Gerry McCarthy was cross-examined by Mr O’Loughlin at length yesterday and the senior counsel said the detective and some of his colleagues wanted Cunningham to confirm in September 2005 interviews what he had told them in February 2005 interviews and not to depart from that.

"Mr Cunningham will tell the jury that you did tell him he was to stick to what he said in February and that Superintendent Quilter would be informed if he changed. (Otherwise) his family would go the same as the McBreartys in Donegal if he did not go along with what he said in February," Mr O’Loughlin said.

Det. Sgt. McCarthy, now retired, totally rejected that.

The senior counsel alleged that the detective told Cunningham he was about to retire and it didn’t matter to him.

He rejected that and said he retired because an unexpected opportunity arose and he had no intention of retiring at that time so he could not have said this to Cunningham.

"You told him you knew he was a decent family man and the person you were really trying to nail was Phil Flynn," Mr O’Loughlin said.

Det. Sgt. McCarthy said: "I did not say that. I have no problem with Phil Flynn if he walked in here today."

The senior counsel asked why in one interview Cunningham referred to Phil Flynn by name and in another he referred to him as 'Person Number One' and similarly referred to Sinn Féin Councillor Tom Hanlon by name and later as 'Person Number Three'.

The detective said he did not know why Cunningham did this.