A judge has told two brothers who plotted to steal from a cash in transit van that they will be jailed next month.
Alan Bradley (38) of Churchfields, Kentstown, Co Meath, and Wayne Bradley (33), of Ratoath Road, Finglas, Dublin, pleaded guilty to conspiring to steal cash from Chubb Ireland on November 2nd, 2007 at Tesco in Celbridge, Co Kildare.
The men carried out the raid under the direction of the late Eamonn Dunne who was also arrested at the scene. Three other men have already been sentenced for their roles including a Chubb Ireland employee who acted as an “inside man”.
Gardaí were watching the gang beforehand and arrested them before any money was taken. The van contained over €880,000 at the time.
After hearing the evidence at Dublin Circuit Criminal, Court Judge Tony Hunt remanded the brothers in custody until April and told them there is no chance of a non-custodial sentence. He said the 10 year maximum sentence for the offence is inadequate but that this was not a matter for him.
“It was a conspiracy that was within minutes of fruition,” Judge Hunt said, adding that if the men had taken a trial date he would have imposed close to the maximum sentence.
After hearing that one of the other raiders, Jeffery Morrow, was jailed for 12 months for the offence, in addition to five years for other crimes, the judge said Morrow was lucky he hadn’t appeared before him. “The idea of giving 12 months extra for a caper like this… It wouldn’t be a road I would go down,” he said.
He remanded the brothers in custody until sentencing because “there is no reality of a non-custodial sentence.”
Alan Bradley has 32 previous convictions and his brother has 12. All are for minor matters such as road traffic offences. Neither brother has come to Garda attention since the 2007 raid.
Det Gda Ronan Casey told prosecuting counsel Deirdre Murphy SC that Alan Bradley was second in command to Dunne while Wayne Bradley was less involved and did not participate in the planning of the operation.
Alan Bradley was spotted by gardai near the Chubb Headquarters shortly before the raid and was also responsible for obtaining key codes which they planned to use to open the van.
Patrick Marrinan SC, defending Alan Bradley, said his client was heavily involved in his local gym and a kickboxing club. He said he is active in his residents association and has helped build playgrounds for local children and put up road safety signs. He is married with three children.
Counsel said Alan Bradley wants to put his criminality behind him, learn a language and move abroad to find work. He said can’t find work here because he “hasn’t been able to shake the shackles of his notoriety.”
Aileen Donnelly SC, defending Wayne Bradley, said he attended a “high support special school” and has a borderline IQ.