A Dublin man has been ordered to carry out 90 hours community service for his role in a staged robbery of diamonds valued at almost €300,000.
Alan Dunne (26) The Heath Square, McKee Avenue, Finglas, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to knowingly making false statements to gardaí intending to show that an offence had been committed on December 2nd, 2004.
Two other men have already been dealt with by Judge Katherine Delahunt in relation to the same case.
Gerry Coates (45), Pinebrook Lawn, Hartstown, was jailed for 18 months with the final six suspended in July last year after he pleaded guilty that on December 1st, 2004 he dishonestly and for his own gain induced another person to believe that diamonds worth €287,185 were the subject of a theft.
Mark Dunne (26), also of The Heath Square, McKee Avenue, Finglas, was jailed for six months in July after he pleaded guilty to the same charge as Alan Dunne. The Dunnes are not related.
Judge Delahunt said she was forced to accept that Alan Dunne acted in "a complete moment of madness" as he had never before had any interaction with criminal society and had always been in long-term employment.
She sentenced him to six months in prison but substituted this by giving him 90 hours of community service.
Det Declan Birchall told Garrett Baker BL, prosecuting, that the "apparent victim", referred to as "Mr S" was the Irish-based sales representative of an English diamond wholesalers.
He planned the "mock robbery" as an insurance scam and, through an Irish contact, got in touch with another man, referred to as "Mr G", who was related to Mark Dunne. Mark Dunne then contacted Alan Dunne and Coates. Both Dunnes agreed to act as witnesses for the robbery while Coates took on the role of the robber.