Raiders waited for Safe 'time-lock' to open
Man jailed for two years for Cong Post Office robberyA MAN WHO pleaded to robbing £5,863 from Cong Post Office in July 1996 was jailed for two years at Castlebar Circuit Court, sitting in Westport. Seamus Dowds with an address at Kilkillogue, Mullaghmore, Co. Sligo, and also at 1 Mountpottinger Road, Belfast, also pleaded guilty to the unlawful use of a motor car when he appeared before Judge Harvey Kenny. Detective Sergeant John Clancy told the court on July 11, 1996, a 999 call was received at Claremorris Garda Station shortly before 9a.m. relating to a robbery that was in progress at Cong Post Office. Shortly before that two men burst into the post office which opens at 9a.m. To facilitate the delivery of mail and cash an assistant usually opens at 8.50a.m. and lodges cash in the safe which is put on a fifteen minute timer. Just as she secured the safe one of the men jumped over the counter. The post mistress was in the back room and heard screaming and raised the alarm. Det. Sgt. Clancy said the assistant suspected one of the raiders was armed as he was holding a bag with his hand in it and it gave the impression there was a gun. She said she could not give them any money and so they waited 15 minutes until the safe could be opened again and stole £5,863.20. The raiders made their getaway in a red Opel Corsa and drove a mile from the village where they abandoned the care in a wood and changed into a different getaway vehicle. They also disposed of the clothing used in the robbery. An investigation got underway immediately and after some time and through appeals to the public for assistance an individual was arrested in Galway in October 1996. However there was insufficient evidence to bring a charge. Seamus Dowds was arrested in January 1997 at his rented accommodation in Sligo and while in custody made a statement of admission. In his statement Dowds said himself and another man decided to do a job on a post office and they looked at Cong Post Office and decided to rob it. They travelled down on another occasion to view the place. On the morning of July 11 they ran into the Post Office where there was a man and woman inside and the other man jumped over the counter and shouted at the girl to put money in the bag. He heard her say she couldn't open the safe as it was locked so they waited, put the money in a bag and ran to their car and drove back to their other car. He said he received £3,000. Dowds said they had no firearms or weapons. He had spent his share of the money and did not want to hurt anyone. None of the money was recovered. Judge Kenny heard the defendant was born in 1972 and came to Belfast as a child, got into bad company and came south to avoid a bench warrant issued by the authorities in the North. He seemed to have come under the influence of the other man and while together they carried out the robbery. He was sentenced to two years in Northern Ireland for possession of drugs and when finished that sentence he was extradited back to the south. He had failed to appear before Foxford court after being remanded on bail. Mr. Eoin Garavan BL (defending) said Dowds was a drug user and was feeding his habit by his activities. The car used was stolen by a third party and he pleaded guilty to driving it. Dowds knew the game was up regarding his drug activities and he went back to Northern Ireland to give himself up. He served two years in jail and was now heroin free. He said he had changed and there was a job waiting for him when he gets out of prison. He was anxious to join up with his partner and two children. It was a case where the courts might give him a chance. Drugs were the main contributory factor to his crime. Judge Kenny said Dowds participated in a raid on the Post Office which was a very serious matter. He put three people in great fear of their lives. He did not carry a fire arm however it was very serious. He said he would sentence him to four years in jail but because he was entering a plea of guilty he would suspend the latter two years. On the second charge he imposed a one year concurrent sentence, disqualified Dowds from driving for four years and endorsed his licence. The sentence will run from January 4 where he was arrested. |
