AN Englishman caught with nearly £5 million worth of stolen share certificates and bonds has been deported from the State.
Anthony Dunbar (35), a fitter mechanic, of Joneswood Close, Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court yesterday to handling 106 share documents in March 1995, knowing them to have been stolen. He was given a four year suspended sentence.
Judge Kieran O'Connor told Dunbar he was prohibiting his return to the Republic and warned that if he did return, he would serve the four year term.
Det Garda Patrick Keane, of the Investigation Section of the Garda Crime Branch, said the documents were stolen as they were be delivered, by registered post, from the Royal Bank of Scotland to Credit Suisse in London.
He told Mr Shane Murphy, prosecuting, that gardai watched a house in Delgany, Co Wicklow after receiving confidential information the documents might be found there. Dunbar was seen entering the house carrying a hold all and gardai forced their way in.
Dunbar was in a room with two others and the certificates were in front of him with the hold all beside him. A faxed list of the stolen securities was also found in the house.
Det Garda Keane said the certificates and bonds had a face value of £4.985 million when stolen and a face value of £3.874 million when recovered. An elaborate scheme of deception would have been needed to cash them. An Irishman is being sought in connection with the case.
Det Garda Keane agreed with Mr Vincent Seallan, defending, that Dunbar was only a courier and was arrested before he could be paid the £200 he had been promised for carrying the papers to Ireland.
Mr Seallan, appealing for a non custodial sentence, said Dunbar had suffered greatly while in custody for two months in Mountjoy due to his colour and accent and had travelled to Ireland about 10 times to remand hearings since getting bail.