A man who held up two banks and a building society and made off with more than £50,000 was yesterday jailed for seven years by Judge A.G. Murphy at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.
Philip Murphy (28), a father of one, of Killala Gardens, Knocknaheeny, Cork, pleaded guilty to robbing £49,500 from AIB Bank in Castletroy in Limerick on May 21st. Murphy also pleaded guilty to robbing £7,925 from AIB Bridge Street, Cork, last January 6th and to the aggravated burglary of £1,840 from the ICS Building Society, Grand Parade, Cork, on March 18th, 1997.
Det Sgt Denis Cahill told the court that Murphy and an accomplice held up staff in Castletroy with knives.
But the money was in security canisters which released a dye and gardai believed most of the money was later burnt.
Murphy and another accomplice also held up staff in AIB Bridge Street.i boarded the bus. Gardai arrested the accomplice and recovered the money. Murphy escaped but Det Sgt Cahill spotted him in a hackney an hour later and when arrested he admitted his involvement.
Murphy told gardai that he tried unsuccessfully to rob Fairhill Post Office in Cork on March 18th, 1997. He later decided to hold up the ICS.
He made off with £1,840 but he was picked up on video cameras outside the premises. When arrested by gardai, he again admitted his guilt and the money was recovered.
Det Sgt Cahill said Murphy contacted him to admit to the Limerick robbery in the hope it would be taken into account.
Murphy's barrister, Mr Tim O'Leary, said Murphy had a chronic drink and drug addiction problem. He had a four-year-old daughter with his partner, who was expecting in July, and he wanted to rehabilitate himself, he said.
Judge A.G. Murphy jailed Murphy for seven years but noting Det Sgt Cahill's belief that Murphy might rehabilitate himself, he said he would review the sentence in three years.