THE getaway driver for a bank robbery was threatened he would be shot, his mother's house would be burned and his sister would be "looked after" if he gave evidence against his coaccused.
Judge Joseph Mathews jailed Thomas Beggs for seven years and said it would be "a sad day" for him if anything happened to the health and welfare of the driver, Jason Hobson, or anyone connected to him.
He said Rob son had failed to appear when the trial was due to open because he had been called by name by someone unknown to him who then threatened him. Despite this he had given his evidence openly and honestly.
Judge Mathews made his comments after Beggs pleaded guilty to stealing £6,507 from the Bank of Ireland on Merrion Road, Dublin, on May 5th, 1995.
Beggs's plea came when his trial was due to resume after lunch yesterday, with the cross examination by Mr Michael O'Higgins, defending of Hobson, who earlier told the jury he had been paid £900 to drive the getaway motorcycle.
Hobson told the jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that Beggs had recruited him a few days earlier and promised him a halfshare of the haul. He said he met Beggs at the Victor Hotel, Dun Laoghaire, but had known him before that.
Beggs (39), from Cushlawn Park, Tallaght, Dublin, had been jailed on March 30th, 1990, for three terms of 11 years in concurrent sentences for a series of armed robberies to which he pleaded guilty. This sentence was later reduced to eight years by the Court of Criminal Appeal.
He was unlawfully out of prison when he robbed the bank five days after failing to return following a one day release to attend the funeral of a friend.
Sgt Patrick McHugh told Mr Tom O Connell, prosecuting, the raid was "very professionally carried out in 60 seconds flat".
Sgt McHugh said the bank's security video showed Beggs visiting the premises the day before the raid. Beggs and Robson had also been recorded on a video when they stopped at a nearby service station on Merrion Road just before the raid.
Mr O Higgins said Beggs had been a serious drug addict for many years and was now determined to take real steps to combat his problem.
Judge Mathews said Beggs had pleaded guilty "honestly and openly in front of the jury" and had not challenged the integrity of Hobson's evidence. Even though he was an accomplice, Robson had proved himself to be a citizen of courage in the face of extreme intimidation.
"Having said that there is no evidence at all that Beggs either ordered or knew Hobson was being threatened, but the still unknown person who issued the threats did so on behalf of the defendant," said Judge Mathews.
Beggs's life had been ruined by drugs. He had lost his wife and his children were strangers to him, said Judge Mathews. He would review the sentence on June 18th 2000, but only on the conditions that Beggs accepted drugs treatment and that no harm befell Rob son or anyone connected to him.