Former homecare assistant facing jail over three post office robberies in Cork
Fintan Tindley admitted robbery of South Douglas Road post office on November 11 and attempted robbery there November 18, and robbing Ballintemple post office on November 16, 2022.
A 49-year-old healthcare worker who got engaged to an American woman he met online sent her €19,000 in cash in the course of last year and now he is facing a jail sentence for three post office raids in Cork City.
Fintan Tindley admitted robbery of South Douglas Road post office on November 11 and attempted robbery there November 18, and robbing Ballintemple post office on November 16, 2022.
He made a death threat on each occasion and carried a knife.
He was carrying out three post office raids and trying gather money to travel to America to meet his fiance.
Fintan Tindley, of Loughmahon Avenue, Mahon, Cork, who was employed as a HSE homecare assistant, appeared at Cork Circuit Criminal Court on June 14 where evidence was given of his offences.
Detective Garda Kevin Motherway testified that at lunchtime on November 11, 2022, the accused entered South Douglas post office and placed a knife to the neck of 72-year-old customer and shouted at the post mistress: “Give me all the money.”
The customer said he felt the knife at his neck and feared he was going to be cut. A sum of €2,380 was robbed from the post office that day.
Five days later, he turned up shortly before noon at Ballintemple post office and placed a knife to the neck of a 44-year-old woman who was there to post a parcel. On this occasion he demanded €15,000.
“The customer was in fear that she was going to be injured or killed. The defendant left with €1,300.
"On that occasion, the customer feared she was going to be stabbed or seriously harmed.”
On the occasions of these two robberies and one attempted robbery he wore a hat and mask.
When CCTV was examined, the accused was seen waiting across the road for up to two hours before entering a post office. His gold-coloured Nissan Qashqai with three alloys and one odd wheel proved important in tracking down the accused.
The car was seen by two senior gardaí around the time of the incidents at a car park and the accused was identified from CCTV. The knife used in the crimes was found under the driver’s seat. So too was the hat which had the accused man’s DNA, Det. Garda Motherway said.
Fintan Tindley travelled to the USA in 2022 where he met his fiancé whom he had originally met online, and over the course of last year he sent her a total of €19,000.
During the investigation it was established Tindley had identified nine post offices in Cork around the time he committed the offences at two premises.
Having worked as a HSE homecare assistant and having no previous convictions, the crimes at the post offices were described by Elizabeth O’Connell, senior counsel, as totally out of character — as he had always been a person who was “a million miles away from someone with criminal tendencies.”
She said that the accused had written letters of apology to the three customers he threatened and the three members of staff on duty when he raided.
Ms O’Connell accepted the crimes were “indefensible and [for the victims] traumatic and frightening.”
The defence senior counsel said there was “an unusual degree of disconnect between these violent offences and the offender”.
Judge Colin Daly said he would impose sentence on Tindley on June 16.
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