Two men involved in the "Pennies from Heaven" charity robbery of €132,000 worth of old coins have been jailed for six years each.
Paul Kelly (22), of Greenfort Gardens, Clondalkin, and David Dwyer (22), of Drumcairn Avenue, Tallaght, who were both 19 at the time, pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary on December 6th, 2002, at Clancy Barracks, Islandbridge.
Before suspending the last two years of the sentence he imposed on both men at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Desmond Hogan described the robbery as "a mean type of offence" even though, he said, that could not legally be regarded as an aggravating factor.
He said Kelly and Dwyer had participated in a robbery of money that was collected to give to people who were in need.
In July last year, Judge Frank O'Donnell imposed various sentences on three other youths, with addresses in Clondalkin, who played roles in the robbery.
The gang, who were masked and armed with a sawn-off shotgun, raided the Pennies from Heaven depot at Clancy Barracks and tied up two security guards. They also used a Mercedes van to ram the shed in which the coins were stored.
They left the scene after loading the van with old Irish coins valued at £66,137 and sterling coins worth £30,724.
The two guards, a man and a woman, freed themselves after an hour and alerted gardaí. Neither of them have returned to work since.
Most of the money stolen was recovered by gardaí at a container storage area in Walkinstown after a tip-off.