Three men have been found guilty of conspiracy to rob the AIB bank in Abbeyleix on December 7th last and of using stolen cars.
However, the three were yesterday found not guilty of possessing a sawn-off shotgun and a stun-gun during the planned raid, during which Det Sgt John Eiffe of the Garda Surveillance Unit died when hit by a ricochet bullet fired by a colleague.
The jury was in its second day of deliberations in the six-week trial when it returned its verdict.
Kevin Lynch, Glenshane Crescent, Tallaght, Ian Quinn, St Aongus Road, Tallaght, and John Bishop, St Ronan's Drive, Clondalkin, will be sentenced on Monday. Garret Quinn, Maplewood Way, Tallaght, who was on bail, failed to turn up for the case.
John Bishop has a number of previous convictions, including one for possession of firearms, eight for robbery, one in relation to dangerous driving, endangerment (bad driving), and 12 for unauthorised taking of a vehicle.
On the day of the planned raid, the men travelled in convoy to Abbeyleix and parked behind the bank. They had also booked into a local B&B. Bishop wore surgical gloves, while a surgical glove was found in Ian Quinn's pocket and gloves were also found in the car Lynch was driving.
The court heard that forensic evidence was found on bars of the security grill at the bank that matched a silver tube found in a car in Dolphin's Barn thought to have been used by Ian Quinn. An instruction sheet as to how to use a stun gun was also found in the car.
Acting on a tip-off, members of the Garda Surveillance Unit monitored the men as they travelled from Dublin to Abbeyleix.
In the town, gardaí were joined by 11 members of the Emergency Response Unit. They were armed with three shotguns, two Uzi submachine guns and their personal firearms.
Believing that a serious crime was under way, Det Insp John Gantley, head of the ERU, ordered his men into the car park where they confronted the gang.
A number of gardaí opened fire after one of the men tried to ram his way out of the car park. Sgt Eiffe was killed in the crossfire.