A woman who was spotted by a detective walking past a shop shortly after a £69,000 robbery has been given a five-year suspended sentence for her role in the crime.
Natasha Malcolmson (32) pleaded guilty to robbery on June 11th, 1996, at Facet Jewellers, Lower George's Street, Dun Laoghaire.
Det Insp Eamon O'Reilly told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court he was passing the shop and noticed the owner, Mr Liam Shannon, in distress. Mr Shannon told him two young men had robbed the shop and described a tall young woman who had been with them in the shop two weeks before.
Det Insp O'Reilly told Mr Pat O'Connell, prosecuting, that he pointed to a tall woman passing by who fitted the owner's description. It was Malcolmson.
She had acted as a watch on the street while the two men, armed with a gun and a large knife, tied up the owner and robbed the shop. Both men were jailed for seven years.
Mr Luigi Rea, defending, said Malcolmson pleaded guilty in April 1998 and her sentence had been adjourned. She now had a 17-month-old child.
Judge Elizabeth Dunne said Malcolmson's involvement in the robbery was "full and complete", but accepted that she had made good progress.