Two jailed over Pennies from Heaven robbery

Derek Jennings, from Greenfort Gardens, who pleaded guilty to the armed robbery of the old Irish coins valued at IR£66,137 and sterling coins valued stg£30,724 (€46,100) on December 6, 2002, was given the four-year sentence. He has 10 previous convictions.

James Collins (aged 19), from Harelawn Avenue, who paid €1,000 for stg£5,000 (€7,500), was jailed for two years and Philip Orr (aged 25), from Rowlagh Gardens, received two years suspended after going along to help Collins.

Judge O’Donnell noted that Collins, with 55 previous convictions, "hadn’t learned his lesson", while Orr had none. They both pleaded guilty to the possession of stolen coins valued at IR£5,000 and stg£5,000 (€7.500) on December 12, 2002.

Judge O’Donnell suspended the final year of Jennings' sentence because he took into consideration a number of things that were said on his behalf, but he added it was a very serious aggravated burglary and a shotgun was used.

He said: "Apart from society, there were personal victims in this case, namely two security guards who were tied up and locked in a room for up to an hour. They have been seriously affected by this offence and had a shotgun held to them during the course of their ordeal."

Garda Paul Lynch told Mr Fergal Foley BL, prosecuting, that the Pennies from Heaven charity was set up at the time of the euro changeover to get people to donate old coins they no longer required.

Collection boxes were placed in various locations, such as banks, around the country.

All the money that was collected in Dublin was brought to Clancy Barracks in Islandbridge and two security guards were employed to watch it.

Gda Lynch said that on the night of December 6, 2002, a gang of armed and masked men held the two guards at gunpoint, tied them up with cable and demanded the keys for the room where the money was stored. They also opened the gate and let a van onto the premises.

The money was loaded into the van, which was being driven by Jennings, and the men made their escape. The two security guards eventually manage to free themselves and contacted gardaí.

Gda Lynch said that the investigation led gardaí to Greenhills Car Sales at the Walkinstown roundabout and they arrived there with a search warrant some days after the robbery.

A substantial quantity of coins was recovered in one of thirteen 30ft containers adjacent to the premises. A further IR£5,000 and Stg£5,000 (€7,500) was located near the boundary of the yard.

Collins and Orr were both located in the area and arrested.

Gda Lynch said as a result of the investigation a number of other people, including Jennings, were arrested.

He said that all three made statements and admitted their involvement, but it was never the prosecution’s case that either Collins or Orr were involved in the more serious aspect of the crime.

It was the intention of the raiders to sell stg£5,000 (€7,500) for €1,000, and the recipients of the British money could go to the North and exchange it. Gda Lynch said Collins had got the €1,000 from his savings and had brought Orr along to help him.

Gda Lynch added that as well as taking the stg£5,000 (€7,500), the pair also helped themselves to IR£5,000 and it was to these two sums they had pleaded guilty. All the stolen money was recovered.

Mr Felix McEnroy SC, for Jennings, said his client came from a particularly "nightmarish" background and the family had a lot of problems.

He was now a father himself and had certain responsibilities. He had made nine separate statements of admission and always honoured his bail.

Ms Isobel Kennedy SC, for Collins, and Mr Michael O’Higgins SC, for Orr, said their clients played a much lesser role in the overall offence. They both pleaded guilty at an early stage and spared the State the expense of what would have been a very lengthy trial.