Court gives man suspended sentence in Northern Bank robbery case

A 63-year-old Cork man who pleaded guilty to money laundering £66,000 sterling stolen as part of the £26m stolen from the Northern Bank in Belfast in December 2004 was given a six-year suspended prison sentence by the Special Criminal Court in Dublin today.

George Hegarty, of Donnybrook Cottages, Douglas, Cork pleaded guilty to possessing £66,000 sterling at his address on February 16, 2005, knowing or believing that the money represented the proceeds of a robbery at the Northern Bank, Belfast on December 20, 2004.

Detective Sergeant John Cahill gave evidence to the three-judge, non-jury court that gardaí launched an investigation into several individuals in Cork in February 2005 following the Northern Bank robbery.

He said that gardaí who searched Hegarty's home found the £66,000 sterling in his bedroom. After his arrest Hegarty admitted to gardaí during interviews that he knew the money was part of the Northern Bank robbery proceeds.

Det Sgt Cahill told Hegarty's counsel Mr Tom Creed SC that he and his partner have an adult autistic child. He also agreed that Hegarty is the carer for his partner who is confined to a wheelchair and needs full-time care.

The Detective Sergeant said that Hegarty would not have benefited from his part in the money laundering and was involved because of his republican sympathies.

Mr Justice Paul Butler, presiding, said that Hegarty had pleaded guilty to a very serious offence.

He said that in mitigation he had co-operated with the gardaí and had pleaded guilty at an early stage.

He said the court had taken into account his personal circumstances and also the evidence of Det Sgt Cahill that Hegarty was not a threat to society.

The court imposed a six-year prison sentence but suspended the sentence on Hegarty's undertaking not to associate with persons convicted of scheduled offences and to be of good behaviour.