A HAULIER has admitted storing and re spraying two stolen vehicles which were later used in a major IRA armed robbery in Co Limerick.
The Special Criminal Court in Dublin yesterday postponed sentence on Michael McEniry for one year after he gave an undertaking to dissociate himself from the IRA and its sympathisers.
The court also ordered McEniry to pay £3,000 compensation to the owner of a van which was burned out during the robbery of a post office van. The court heard that an IRA gang fired shots after holding up a postal van at Kilmallock, Co Limerick, and escaping with £95,000 in June 1994.
McEniry (39), of Knockroe, Kilteely, Co Limerick, said he had become friendly with people selling An Phoblacht, Sinn Fein's weekly newspaper.
"My politics are Fianna Fail. I was a soft touch. These fellows used me. I am sorry for my family," he said.
McEniry pleaded guilty to handling a stolen car and van, damaging the car and van, and handling two stereo radios and other stolen property on a date unknown between May 14th and June 11th, 1994.
The State entered a nolle prosequi on other charges, including the theft of almost £95,000 at Kilmallock, Co Limerick, on June 10th, 1994.
Det Insp William Keane said a van was stolen from outside a pub in Co Limerick on May 15th, 1994. Later the same day a car was also stolen from outside a hotel in Tralee, Co Kerry. On June 10th, 1994, an An Post van left a post office depot at Kilmallock escorted by armed gardai.
The stolen van was used to block the road and the stolen car blocked the road behind the post office van. A gunman fired a number of shots and the stolen van was set on fire.
The gang left the scene in the An Post van and the stolen car. They later burned the van and escaped with the money.
Gardai searched the accused man's premises and found items connected to the stolen car and van in a garage adjacent to his house. McEniry was arrested and told gardai that men he knew to be from the IRA had asked him to store the vehicles.
He was told a man would come to re spray the vehicles but McEniry offered to re spray them himself. Det Insp Keane said McEniry had no previous convictions and was a haulier involved in bulk milk collection in the Limerick area.
McEniry said he would not associate with the IRA or its sympathisers or any criminal elements. Mr Justice Barr, presiding, said the court would postpone sentence on him until February 18th, 1997, on condition that he dissociated himself from subversives and that he'd pay compensation within 14 days to the owner of the van which was stolen.