A criminal who conspired to steal a car that was used in a credit union robbery during which Det Garda Adrian Donohoe was shot dead has been jailed for eight years.
Mr Justice Tony Hunt at the three-judge Special Criminal Court on Thursday said that at the time when James Flynn conspired to steal a Volkswagen Passat from outside a house in Clogherhead, Co Louth, he "knew the full purpose of the conspiracy to burgle" and that the conspiracy "encompassed" the robbery which took place three nights later.
Mr Justice Hunt set a headline sentence of nine years but reduced that to eight after considering the "limited" mitigation including testimonials by members of Flynn's family.
In September, the Special Criminal Court acquitted James Flynn (32), with an address in Ravensglen, Newry, Co Down, of participation in the robbery of €7,000 at Lordship Credit Union in Bellurgan, Co Louth, on January 25th, 2013. It was during that robbery that Aaron Brady murdered Det Garda Adrian Donohoe by shooting him once in the head.
Brady is serving a life sentence with a minimum of 40 years for the offence and is awaiting the outcome of an appeal against his conviction.
At Thursday's sentencing Mr Justice Tony Hunt described Brady as a "co-conspirator" of Flynn's.
In its judgment regarding Flynn, the Special Criminal Court found that he was an active member of the gang that carried out the robbery and that he was intimately involved with Brady and another man in stealing the Volkswagen Passat that was used as a getaway car.
The court also found that Flynn drove his own BMW to a remote location in south Armagh after the credit union robbery where the Passat was set on fire. Flynn then drove the participants from the area. Mr Justice Hunt said Flynn was therefore an accessory before and after the robbery.
However, the court was not satisfied that the State had proven its case that Flynn was a direct participant in the robbery and therefore acquitted him of that charge.
The court did convict Flynn of conspiracy to steal the Volkswagen Passat getaway car from outside a house in Clogherhead, Co Louth, on January 22nd/23rd, 2013.
