TWO MEN in their 20s from Co Down where brought before a special sitting of Killorglin District Court in Kerry yesterday charged with damaging the front wall of a bank and stealing an ATM machine in the early hours of Saturday in Castleisland, Co Kerry.
The court heard both men were unemployed and in receipt of £50 a week in welfare. Further serious charges were likely.
Christopher Murney (24), Chapel Hill Road, Mayobridge, Co Down, and Thomas Wilson (29), Sea Patrick Villas, Banbridge, Co Down, were each charged with stealing an ATM machine, the property of Ger O’Brien of the AIB, Main Street Castleisland.
Each was also charged with damaging the “front external wall” of the building.
Gardaí who arrested and charged the men at Killarney Garda station gave evidence that the men expressed regret when charged under caution.
Mr Murney had said in reply to the first charge “I am sorry, but I did do it,” and he gave a similar reply to the second charge, Garda Con Murphy of Farranfore told the court.
When charged, Mr Wilson said he apologised, Det Sgt Pádraig Sears said in evidence.
The men’s solicitor, Pádraig O’Connell, said he would be making a bail application in the High Court, but sought the State’s grounds of objection yesterday.
The solicitor also said his clients were both unemployed and in receipt of £50 a week in unemployment benefit and he would be seeking legal aid.
Insp Barry O’Rourke said he would be seeking to proffer further “serious charges” arising from the alleged incident.
It would be alleged the defendants were part of an organised gang that came from one end of the country to the other in the early hours and attempted to dig out an ATM machine.
It would also be alleged that the men had stolen a heavy digger in the Castleisland area and subsequently set it alight to destroy evidence, the inspector continued.
Had the crime succeeded it would have been “spectacular”, Insp O’Rourke said.
They were from outside the jurisdiction and there was a risk of flight were they to be given bail, the court heard.
Judge James O’Connor remanded the men to appear in custody before tomorrow’s sitting of Killarney District Court. He refused to grant the men legal aid, telling their solicitor he could not take the men’s word alone as to their circumstances. He wanted the matter looked into further.