Bernard Quigley arriving at Sligo Circuit Court, to be sentenced for the robbery of a Bank of Ireland ATM in Tubbercurry, Co. Sligo in 2014.
Photo: James Connolly
04FEB16
A Lisnaskea resident, who was found guilty of using a stolen JCB digger to rip out an ATM machine in Tubbercurry, County Sligo, was jailed for five and a half years at Sligo Circuit Court.
In jailing 43-year-old Bernard Quigley, Main Street, Lisnaskea, who also has addresses at Branchfield, Drumfin, Co Sligo, Teeling Street Tubbercurry, Judge Francis Comerford said he had taken part a in a pre-meditated plan for commercial gain.
The father of six has been in garda custody since August 2014, because officers feared he would flee back to Fermanagh to evade justice for what was described in court as a very serious crime.
The judge said Quigley’s crimes were an “affront and an attack on the sanctity of an Irish town”.
He added that Quigley, who ripped out an ATM with a JCB digger in full view of CCTV around 5am on the morning of January 29 2014, had committed a “very serious offence”.
The judge said around £124,000 had been stolen and a total of £40,000 damage caused to the ATM.
He said that a high degree of thought had gone into the crime and it was not done on impulse.
Judge Comerford said an aggravating fact in the case was that members of the public had got caught up in the event.
The judge went on to praise eyewitness Paul Murphy who followed Quigley and two others who were not caught by gardai, as they made off with the ATM on a trailer on the back of the van out towards Coolaney.
He said that Mr Murphy was also put at risk as one of the gang brandished an implement at him that forced him to retreat.
Quigley was charged with the theft of the ATM machine containing cash from Bank of Ireland Teeling Street Tubbercurry on January 29 2014.
He was further charged with possession of stolen property, a Komatsu digger, knowing that it was stolen.
And, the defendant was further charged with causing criminal damage to the front wall and the ATM in Teeling Street.
Bernard Quigley denied all charges.
An earlier hearing was told how the stolen ATM was put on the back of a waiting van and trailer but fell off in the middle of the road just as the thieves were about to speed off.
The early morning crime in Tubbercurry was also witnessed by a number of local residents who quickly contacted the gardai.
The entire incident was also captured on the CCTV, the three- week trial was told.
And, when the accused Bernard Quigley, Branchfield, Drumfin County Sligo. appeared at his partner Bridie Wynne’s home in Coolaney within hours of the heist he looked like a “half shagged monkey” and was also “absolutely drowned”.
The court heard that Quigley was described as a “happy go lucky” type of person.
It also heard that his DNA was found in three vehicles at four different locations.
When asked by gardai, where he was on the date of the heist, he said that “to the best of his knowledge he was in Clifden with Patricia King” his girlfriend.
In sentencing Quigley, Judge Comerford said that owing to Quigley’s relatively clear record, this crime could be viewed as something on an “aberration”.
He said that while Quigley did not take any responsibility for the crime he had been co-operative with the gardai.
The judge also complimented the prompt actions of the eyewitnesses and the gardai in responding so quickly to the crime.
Judge Comerford jailed the defendant for seven and a half years for the charge of theft from the ATM. He suspended the final two years for a period of two years.
The judge jailed Quigley for four years concurrently for possession of stolen property.
And he jailed the defendant for a period of seven and a half years with two yeas suspended for causing criminal damage.
This sentence was also concurrent.
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