Former Brinks employee pleads guilty to stealing from cash-in-transit van

A Louth resident with no previous convictions has been jailed for one year for stealing over €20,000 cash in transit from a Brinks Allied Irish van.

A Louth resident with no previous convictions has been jailed for one year for stealing more than €20,000 cash in transit from a Brinks Allied Irish van.

Former Brinks employee Anthony McGrath (aged 27) was caught on secret camera installed by gardaí investigating complaints about discrepancies in money being transported between banks around the country.

Sergeant Paul Moran revealed that colleagues identified McGrath as “the common denominator” in all the reported incidents and put a hidden camera in the van used for his shift.

McGrath, of Redshanks Courts, Ashton Village, Drogheda, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to stealing €1,950 on June 18 and €6,050 on June 27, 2007 from Brinks Allied Irish while transporting bank cash to Dublin.

The Director of Public Prosecutions entered a nolle prosequi on three further counts of theft of a total €12,350 from Brinks Allied Irish between May 16 and June 22, 2007.

Sgt Moran said McGrath admitted the thefts on arrest and described how he had widened air holes in the money bags to fit his hand inside, but could not explain why he committed the crimes.

Sgt Moran told Mr Tony McGillicuddy BL, prosecuting, that gardai recovered €13,330 at McGrath’s former Coolock home but never found the remaining €7,280.

The sergeant agreed with Ms Martina Baxter BL, defending, that McGrath had no idea how much money he grabbed each time.

Ms Baxter submitted to Judge Katherine Delahunt that her client was a single man who had worked at Dublin Airport security before taking the Brinks Allied Irish job.

She said McGrath was fired after two years employment when his dishonesty over a short period of time was discovered.

She submitted that her unemployed client would have difficulty finding similar types of work in future given this dishonesty offence.

Judge Delahunt noted that McGrath now had financial problems following his dismissal and was not able to repay the money.

She noted that McGrath “grossly abused” his position of trust at Brinks Allied Irish to enhance his lifestyle.

She said she had no doubt McGrath was remorseful for the shame he would brought on his family but told him he would be serving a two-year sentence had it not been for his full co-operation with gardaí and the fact he had no previous convictions.