Two Dublin men facing charges of robbing the Bank of Ireland in Ardee, Co Louth, of £133,853 on Monday, were remanded in custody when they appeared before Carlingford District Court yesterday. Both men denied the charges.
Mr Paul Martin (28) and Mr John Martin (27), Kippure Park, Finglas, are charged with robbing Mr William O'Reilly, manager of the Bank of Ireland, Castle Street, Ardee, of £133,853 on November 17th.
Gardai opposed an application for bail made by the men's solicitor, Mr James MacGuill. After evidence was given that the men were arrested, charged and cautioned at Drogheda Garda station yesterday, gardai then applied to have them remanded in custody.
Mr MacGuill opposed this, saying the men were arrested three miles from Ardee and some considerable time after the alleged offence.
Det Supt Michael Finnegan told Judge Flann Brennan he opposed bail because he believed neither would turn up for trial and they would interfere with witnesses.
He said there was substantial evidence against both parties and, if convicted, they would receive lengthy sentences and for that reason would not turn up for the trial.
Replying to Mr MacGuill, he said Mr Paul Martin had lived at different addresses, including his father's at Kippure Park, Finglas.
He was sought by hundreds of gardai from 5.10 p.m. on Monday after an armed raid in Ardee and had been sought by gardai five years ago following a post office robbery at Ross Cross, Dunshaughlin, Co Meath, in which one of his associates was shot dead. The garda said that Mr Paul Martin had been in England when gardai sought him five years ago.
Mr MacGuill asked that if he was concerned that civilian witnesses would be intimidated, why were civilians brought into the Garda station?
Det Supt Finnegan said the only people in the interview room were gardai. He did not accept Mr MacGuill's claim that civilians were shown photographs to formally identify the men.
The garda said Mr Paul Martin had disguised himself with his own excreta when there was a possibility of being identified. He had covered his face and hands with it.
The garda also opposed bail for Mr John Martin and said he was concerned he would interfere with a number of civilian witnesses in Ardee and Dublin.
Mr Paul Martin told the court that he resided at Kippure Park and had a passport because he had gone on a week's holiday to Spain with his girlfriend. He was prepared to hand up his passport and sign on daily at his local Garda station. Under no circumstances would he interfere with witnesses and he denied any involvement with this crime.
Cross-examined by Det Supt Finnegan, he said he had never lived outside the jurisdiction.
Mr John Martin told the court he did not have a passport, would not apply for one and had never broken any bail bonds or bench bonds. He was also prepared to sign on daily at his local Garda station.
When asked if he would interfere with witnesses, he said he would not because he was not guilty.
Judge Brennan said there was a very serious and substantial robbery of a bank in Ardee and these men from Finglas had been arrested three miles south of Ardee and that was evidence he could not ignore.
He remanded them in custody to appear at Ardee District Court on Thursday.