Taxi driver sentenced for security van robbery

A crack addict taxi driver who drove the getaway car in a robbery from a Securicor van has been given a two year suspended sentence…

A crack addict taxi driver who drove the getaway car in a robbery from a Securicor van has been given a two year suspended sentence.

Jim Byrne (35) of Liberty House, Dublin 1 pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbery of the van and €14,810 at Northside Shopping Centre, Coolock, on February 2nd, 2004.

His co-accused Anthony Kinlan (25), of Larch Hill, Coolock, also pleaded guilty.

Last March, Kinlan was given 240 hours work to do in the community in lieu of a two year prison sentence.

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Remy Farrell BL, defending Byrne, told Judge Desmond Hogan it was accepted that his client played a significantly lesser role in the offence and had been used as "an opportunistic getaway driver".

Judge Hogan accepted evidence that Byrne was abusing crack cocaine at the time and that he had no previous convictions.

He said he would make a distinction between the two men and sentenced Byrne to two years in prison which he suspended on condition that he keep the peace and be of good behaviour for those two years.

The court heard Byrne had been told by Kinlan he was going to commit a robbery. Byrne he agreed to wait around the corner in his car to assist his escape.

Detective Garda Dermot McKenna told the court Kinlan hid himself in a Ford Transit van parked near the spot where the Securicor van was expected to stop for the collection.

He then confronted the van driver with an imitation handgun and forced him to

unload the €14,810 into a bag. He then made his get away in a red car driven by Byrne.

Det Gda McKenna said clues left at the Ford Transit van led gardai to Kinlan's apartment where they also found the red car. The imitation hand gun was in the pocket of a jacket in the car but the money was never recovered.