A mass-card salesman jailed for 18 months for possessing hundreds of images of child pornography has been granted bail pending an appeal against his conviction.
Thomas McNally, aged 51, was jailed for 18 months in October last year after a Longford Circuit Criminal Court jury found him guilty on two counts of possessing child pornography on 6-7 February, 2006.
McNally, of Foynes Court, Longford, had pleaded not guilty to the possession of 676 images of child pornography which had been downloaded on to A4 sheets.
Over half the images were discovered by investigating gardaí in a field outside Longford, where a safe stolen from the home of the accused had been dumped.
Counsel for the applicant, Mr Padraig Dwyer SC, said that the court should have regard to the fact that McNally will have served a substantial portion of his sentence by the time his appeal hearing comes to court.
He told the court that McNally had been diagnosed with a very serious illness and had extensive surgery which required him to leave prison under escort to consult with his surgeon and an oncologist.
Presiding judge Mr Justice Joseph Finnegan said that, having regard to both of these factors, the court was disposed to grant the applicant bail.
He said the court would grant McNally bail on his own bond of €100 and an independent surety of €5,000.
McNally was also ordered to sign on weekly at Longford Garda Station and to reside at his home address. He is also to surrender his passport and undertake not to apply for any new travel documentation.
