An man who enlisted a prostitute and members of "The Westies" gang to help him arrange a staged robbery of diamonds valued at almost €300,000 has been given a three years suspended sentence.
Menachem Goldsobel (41) planned the robbery as part of a "madcap" insurance scam hoping to be allowed by his employer to return to work in London after nine years in Ireland.
Goldsobel, a married father of seven children, of Colberg Place, London pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to knowingly making a false statement to gardai that an offence had taken place on December 12th, 2004.
Judge Desmond Hogan said the offence was committed "at a time of great loneliness" in Goldsobel's life and that he had been "naive in the extreme" to get involved with others "better versed in the ways of crime".
Judge Hogan said this was a first offence by a man whom all the reports showed was "a man for others" who was constantly giving to those less fortunate. He had suffered a great loss of reputation in his community and that was a burden he must bear but with the help of his community he would succeed.
Judge Hogan said that in all the circumstances a custodial sentence was not appropriate taking everything into consideration but the seriousness of the crime had to be marked with a three year sentence which he suspended on strict conditions.
Detective Garda Declan Birchall told Mr Paul Greene BL, prosecuting, that they first became aware that an incident had occurred when they received a phone call saying a man had been robbed in Upper Gardiner street.
The man, Goldsobel, attended "in distress" at the station shortly afterwards and it transpired that he had been sprayed in the face with mace gas. He was taken to hospital but returned later in the day and told gardai that he had been robbed of a bag containing £200,000 worth of diamonds .
He outlined to gardaí that he had been making a delivery to a jeweller in Dorset Street and was returning to his jeep when he was approached by a lone male who sprayed him with mace. He said this man took a bag from him containing 'jewellery pouches' of loose diamonds.
Det Gda Birchall said Goldsobel was at this time the Irish sales representative of Deblinger, an English diamond wholesalers. He had asked to be allowed to return to live in London but his employer wanted him to remain in Dublin as he was popular with clients.
Det Gda Birchall said that shortly afterwards, two men, Mark and Alan Dunne, contacted gardai and said they had earlier come across Goldsobel in distress after the robbery and had lent him some assistance by making the call to gardai.
Det Gda Birchall said a van was stopped by gardaí in Blanchardstown about an hour later and an amount of diamonds were recovered.
The driver of the van, Gerry Coates, was arrested and told gardaí that the alleged robbery had been arranged with Goldsobel and others. Goldsobel was arrested the next day and initially denied all allegations.
Det Gda Birchall said that he finally admitted having arranged to have a supply of diamonds stolen with a man he had been introduced to by a prostitute named "Toni". He was unaware that mace would be used during the "robbery", believing that he was to be threatened with a weapon.
He told gardaí that his motive was to get out of diamond selling so that he could stop travelling and change job without losing face in his community.
Det Gda Birchall said that that Mark and Alan Dunne had come before the courts charged with making false statements to gardai and Gerry Coates has been sentenced to 16 months imprisonment for attempting to make a gain by deception.
He told Mr Greene that the retail value of the diamonds "stolen" was €289,185; however, only €113,263 worth of diamonds had been recovered with €173, 921 worth outstanding.
Det Gda Birchall agreed with Mr Jonathan Goldberg QC (with Mr Bernard Condon BL), defending, that the "robber" was stopped after running a red light by gardai who became suspicious when they noticed a jewellery scales on the passenger seat.
Mr Goldberg said his client was a member in north London "of the ultra orthodox Hasidic Jewish community" of which there were less then 5,000 members. He compared them to the Amish in Philadelphia, saying they "live lives almost from the last century, not wishing to be exposed to corrupting influences of modern life".
Goldsobel had been travelling every week for the last nine years to Ireland from London and spending the working week living in hotels. His "loneliness and alienation" in Dublin lead him to resort to the company of a prostitute, "Toni", whom he asked to introduce him to people who might participate in his "mad cap scheme".
Mr Goldberg said Goldsobel's plan was to stage a fake robbery then give the diamonds to his employer, who could make an insurance claim without losing anything, thus gaining favour and being allowed to return home.
He said Goldsobel was introduced to a man from "The Westies" gang who told him he would arrange witnesses to the "robbery".
Mr Goldberg read a letter from Goldsobel's former employer, Robert Deblinger, who said he was not willing to participate in the prosecution as he felt guilt at not having allowed his former employee to return to London to be with his family and said he thought this had caused him to "snap".