A 70-year-old Dublin man, who admitted obstructing the Criminal Assets Bureau last March, was in jail last night - for 48 hours.Thomas McGrath, Ashfield, Terenure, had on March 8th admitted the offence in the Dublin District Court and had received a three-day jail sentence.
Yesterday McGrath appealed the severity of the sentence to the circuit court and it was reduced by a day.
Judge Jacqueline Linnane heard from a witness for the Criminal Assets Bureau that on March 7th, it had carried out a search in the office of Binchys Solicitors, Lower Baggot Street, Dublin, as part of an investigation.
Mr McGrath, an office worker, had taken a file and had hidden it in a photocopier where it had been found by CAB officers. He had admitted the offence next day in court and had been sentenced to jail for three days.
Yesterday Mr Michael Staines, solicitor for McGrath, said his client had admitted the offence and regretted it. He was a man of 70 years of age and it was totally out of character for him.
Judge Linnane said the offence was serious and affirmed the district court order. She reduced the sentence by one day on the basis that McGrath had already spent some hours in custody.