A 30-year-old criminal has been jailed for 11 years for firearms offences and his role in the attempted robbery of almost €900,000 from a cash-in-transit van five years ago.
Joseph Warren of Belclare Crescent, Ballymun, a former soldier, told the court today that he got involved in organised crime because he missed the camaraderie of the Army.
He is the sixth and final gang member, which included the murdered gang leader Eamon Dunne, to be sentenced for the crime.
Warren was described by Judge Pat McCartan today as an active and trusted member of a well-organised and disciplined criminal gang involved in drug dealing, armed robbery and contract killings.
He was part of the six-man gang that tried to rob €880,000 from a security van at Tesco in Celbridge five years ago.
The gang followed the van in a convoy of cars that morning.
Daryl Caffrey, a security worker in the van, was the inside man.
The gang had information on the route, and had keys cut for the van.
Warren had a consaw to cut open the safe and approached the security van in the Tesco car park that morning with the saw running.
However, gardaí were at the scene and arrested all six gang members.
This morning Warren told the judge he only got involved with the gang because after he had left the Army he had missed the camaraderie.
He claimed he was acting under duress, but he was caught two years later, while out on bail, at an arms cache in Ballymun, covering ammunition for two revolvers with plastic to keep it dry in the rain.
Warren arrived at the murder scene the night Eamon Dunne was shot dead, he grieved at his loss and carried his coffin at the gang leader’s funeral.
Judge McCartan said the photographs showing the gang including Dunne assembled in black paramilitary type clothing was a chilly manifestation of their discipline and intent.
He said Warren’s evidence was entirely unbelievable and he sentenced him to a total of 14 years in prison, with the final three years suspended.
