A garda sergeant and a Northern Ireland man appeared at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin yesterday charged with forging and stealing passports. Sgt Finbarr Hickey (40), a married man, of St Mary's Court, Mary Street North, Dundalk, Co Louth, and James Fox (40), a native of Co Armagh, with an address at Meenascreebe, Faughart, Dundalk, were both remanded on bail until March 7th.
Sgt Hickey was charged with 40 offences alleging that on dates in 1995 and 1996 he stole passports, forged passport application forms, conspired to obtain passports from the Passport Office at Molesworth Street, Dublin, and had passports for use in a larceny.
He was charged with seven counts of stealing passports at the Passport Office on dates between February 10th, 1995, and March 8th, 1996, with nine counts of forging passport application forms between January 26th, 1995, and April 4th, 1996, and eight counts of conspiring with James Fox and others not before the court to obtain passports between January 1st, 1995, and April 30th, 1996.
Hickey was also charged with eight counts of possession of passport application forms at Hackballscross Garda station, which were allegedly to be used in a larceny between January 26th, 1995, and April 4th, 1996. He was also charged with eight counts of falsely impersonating people to obtain passports between February 2nd, 1995, and April 16th, 1996.
Fox faced five charges of conspiring with Hickey to obtain false passports between January 1st and February 10th, 1995, that he stole a passport on February 10th, 1995, that he forged a passport application form on January 26th, 1995, that he used a forged passport application form on February 2nd, 1995, and that he impersonated another person to obtain a passport on the same date.
Det. Insp. John O'Mahony, of the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, gave evidence of arresting Hickey at Muirhevnamore, Dundalk, at 7.45 p.m. on Tuesday. He said Hickey made no reply when arrested. He arrested Fox at his home in Faughart at 7.15 p.m. on Tuesday. Fox also made no reply when arrested, he said.
Assistant State Solicitor Mr Gearoid Ryall said there was no objection from the Gardai to bail for the two men. Two retired Garda chief superintendents, John Hickey, the father of Finbarr Hickey, and Stephen Faughnan, were accepted as independent bails-men for the sergeant.
Sgt Hickey was freed on his own bail of £5,000 and two independent bonds of £20,000 each. He was ordered to sign on twice weekly at Dundalk Garda station and to surrender his passport.
Mr Fox was freed on his own bail of £1,000 and two independent bonds of £5,000 each and was also ordered to sign on twice weekly at Dundalk Garda station and to surrender his passport.