This article is from page 17 of the 2007-07-03 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 17 JPG
THREE men who were intercepted by gardai on their way to commit a armed robbery on a bookie’s in East Clare have each been jailed for three years.
Cathal O’Neill (40), of Upper Lim- erick Street, Limerick, John Mur- phy (47), of Ballina, Killaloe, and
Michael Gerard Heelan (47), of Bo- herbue, Mallow, Cork, admitted pos- Session of an imitation firearm, with intent to commit robbery, at Drum- line, Newmarket-on-Fergus, on June 24, 2005.
Murphy also pleaded guilty to pos- session of a sawn-off shotgun, five shotgun cartridges and a _ pepper spray canister.
Ennis Circuit Court was told that gardai received intelligence that an armed crime was about to be car- ried out in East Clare. Armed gardai from the ERU, who were on duty in the area, stopped a hiace van. The three men, who were travelling in the van, were arrested and charged.
Heelan was driving the vehicle while the other two defendants were
in the back.
A bag in the van contained a sawn- off shotgun and pistol, the latter which was incapable of firing. Also found were 100 cable ties, black ba- laclavas, wire cutters and acon saw.
At Ennis Circuit Court yesterday, Judge Carroll Moran said by plead- ing guilty, all three accused acknowl- edged they had done wrong. “These
men were in possession of a gun and ammunition. They were intending to commit a serious crime and in the course of it were going to use cables, balaclavas and other matters and tie up innocent persons in the shop.”
He said if they had pleaded not guilty but been convicted by a jury, he would have imposed sentences of SIX years.