Chef loses appeal against IRA membership conviction

The Court of Criminal Appeal has dismissed a Co Cork chef's appeal against his conviction for membership of the IRA.

Today the three-judge court held that the conviction imposed on Don Bullman, who was arrested in the course of a Garda investigation into IRA money-laundering following the 2004 Northern Bank robbery is safe.

Bullman (aged 34), a chef and father of two, Leghanamore, Wilton, Co Cork, was jailed in March 2007 for four years at the Special Criminal Court after he was found guilty of membership of an unlawful organisation, the IRA, on February 16, 2005.

The SCC was told Bullman was found in possession of a washing-powder box containing €94,250 after his arrest outside Heuston Station in Dublin following a Gardai surveillance operation.

Bullman denied in interviews with gardaí that he was a member of the IRA or had any involvement in its activities.

Bullman had appealed on grounds including that the judges at the Special Criminal Court had erred in drawing inferences "consistent with guilt" from evidence concerning Mr Bullman's activities at Heuston station.

Bullman's lawyers said the prosecution had not produced evidence at the trial of any illegal activity, such as money laundering, taking place prior to Mr Bullman's arrest at Heuston Station.

It was argued that Bullman had been convicted only of IRA membership and had not been charged with or accused of any other offence.

The DPP opposed the appeal.

Today the Court of Criminal Appeal of Mr Justice Joseph Finnegan, presiding and sitting with Mr Justice Declan Budd and Mr Justice Michael Hanna, dismissed all grounds of the appeal.

Following the verdict counsel for Bullman said that his client wished to withdraw his appeal against sentence.