Gardaí Track 'Red-Handed' Robber

While the Irish police are becoming increasingly successful in dealing with robberies from cash-in-transit companies - one particular case that was brought to court this week wasn't too difficult to pursue - as the culprit was caught literally red-handed.

Jason Clarke (29), of O'Devaney Gardens, pleaded guilty to stealing a cash box - containing €40,000 - from a Securicor worker as he delivered it to an ATM in the Park Shopping Centre, on January 11 this year.

He was arrested soon afterwards when Gardaí followed a trial of ink and smoke from the box's security devices back to his home.

Referring to the red dye - the court was told that Clarke was "literally caught red handed" - as Gardaí had followed the trail of dye to Clarke's apartment and even saw the smoke coming from his balcony and then found him in bed, covered in dye, before arrested him.

In his defence, his counsel argued that Clarke's addiction to drugs should be considered when sentencing him and said Clarke suffered from serious medical conditions and while he had been a heroin and cocaine addict, he was now on methadone.

Judge Tony Hunt adjourned sentencing until February to allow for the preparation of a probation report.

The case follows soon after the jailing of three Dublin men earlier this month for their part in a separate attempted Securicor cash van heist, which was also foiled by Gardai in South Dublin last year.

One of them, 28-year-old Michael Taylor from Summerhill in Dublin received 16 years in consecutive sentences because he attempted the robbery while he was out on bail on a 2006 drug offence.

The two other men 32-year-old, Stephen Fagan of Rutland Street Lower and Graham Byrne (34) of Sean McDermott street were jailed for eight years each for their role in the failed hold up at the AIB in the Sandyford business park in august 2007.

They all pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit the robbery of Securicor personnel making a cash delivery to AIB that day.

(BMcC)