A FORENSIC psychologist who fell in love with an Irish-born bank robber while he was serving time in a UK jail will have to wait 2½ more years before the couple can be together.
Donna Duffield (32) was in Limerick Circuit Court yesterday when her boyfriend Francis Gavigan was jailed for three years for masterminding bank robberies in Limerick and Co Cork.
The 35-year-old, who has an address at St Mark’s Gardens, Clondalkin, Dublin, pleaded guilty to eight charges arising out of robberies in 2001 and his subsequent escape from custody.
He admitted robbing Bank of Ireland branches in Charleville, Co Cork, and Dooradoyle, Limerick, on November 20th and 29th, 2001, and also to the unlawful taking of three vehicles; having a firearm; hijacking a vehicle and escaping lawful custody.
Limerick Circuit Court previously heard that Gavigan began a relationship with forensic psychologist Donna Duffield while he was serving a four-year year sentence for a separate robbery charge imposed in July 2005 at Manchester Crown Court.
Brendan Nix SC, for the defence, said his client had become involved with Ms Duffield while he was “a guest of her majesty’s government”.
“Ms Duffield is here . . . to show her support for Mr Gavigan. They built a relationship through prison bars for 3½ years. Things are certainly looking up for Mr Gavigan,” he said.
Before imposing sentence yesterday, Judge Carroll Moran said Gavigan had a very bad record and described him as “a serial robber”. He sentenced him to five years on the robbery charges but suspended the final two years.
Speaking after the sentence was imposed, Ms Duffield promised to stick by her boyfriend of 3½ years. She insisted he had never been her client but said she met him while she was carrying out some research work as a forensic psychologist.
She said her family were supportive of the relationship which she is determined to continue.
She said she had been forced to give up forensic psychology as she is in a relationship with a convicted criminal. However, she plans to pursue a career in writing and is hoping to have her first self-help book published soon.