A MAN who stole a cash box containing €40,000 was arrested after gardaí followed a trail of ink and smoke from the box's security devices to his home, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court has heard.
Jason Clarke (29) of O'Devaney Gardens, Dublin, pleaded guilty to stealing the box from a Securicor worker as he delivered it to an ATM in the Park shopping centre, off Prussia Street, on January 11th, 2008. Judge Tony Hunt adjourned sentencing until February to allow for the preparation of a probation report.
Defence counsel Ray Colgan said to laughter from the court, that Clarke was "literally caught red handed" by gardaí after they saw smoke coming from his balcony.
Garda Conor McDonagh told prosecuting counsel, Fergal Foley, that Clarke was on his way to the supermarket when he saw the van delivering the money. He approached one of the guards "in a threatening manner" causing him to drop the box.
Clarke picked it up and ran off, activating the security devices, which emitted smoke and ink.
He brought it to his flat in O'Devaney Gardens where he put it out on the balcony to disperse the smoke. Gardaí followed the trail and saw the smoke from the street. They found Clarke in bed covered in dye and arrested him.
The judge called it an "unusual case" and said the incident was like something from the "Keystone Cops".