Man and woman allegedly caught with €50k worth of stolen jewellery
By Brendan Grehan
A MAN and woman who were allegedly caught in possession of a bag containing more than €50,000 worth of stolen jewellery in Tallaght village last week have been refused bail.
Kathleen Kiely and Michael Maughan appeared before Judge Gerry Jones in Dublin District Court last Friday. Kiely was allegedly caught “red-handed” as she walked into the Cash for Gold shop on Thursday, January 25.
The driver of the car Kiely went to the shop with Maughan who was also arrested.
Kiely, aged 30, with an address at Lymington Avenue, London, and Maughan, aged 23, with an address at Hazel Hill, Tallaght, are charged with handling stolen property: jewellery at Main Street, Tallaght on January 25, 2018.
Detective Garda Aidan Carroll told Judge Jones he arrested Ms Kiely last Thursday and she made no reply to the charge after caution.
He said it will be alleged that she was caught “red-handed” carrying a bag containing €50,000 worth of jewellery, as she walked into the Cash for Gold shop.
Objecting to bail, he told Judge Jones the jewellery was the proceeds of a burglary.
Det Garda Carroll said the total value of property stolen in the burglary could be more than €250,000.
Ms Kiely told him she had been in the country for three days and had a flight booked to leave.
He feared she would abscond if granted bail. Asked if he believed Ms Kiely knew the whereabouts of the remaining jewellery, Det Garda Carroll said : “my suspicion is that she would.”
Kiely’s counsel, Donal Pattison BL, applied for bail, and said there was no evidence that his client would not turn up in court.
Ms Kiely was prepared to live at an address in Ireland or in the UK and she gave evidence that she would abide by conditions.
Judge Jones refused bail for Kiely and remanded her in custody to appear before the court on February 2.
Det Garda Redmond O’Leary of the Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau said he arrested Mr Maughan who also made no reply after caution.
Garda O’Leary objected to bail, citing the seriousness of the charge, which carries a maximum 10 years in prison on conviction on indictment.
Det Garda O’Leary said it was alleged Mr Maughan was found in possession of in excess of €50,000 worth of gold jewellery.
Mr Maughan was allegedly seen driving a Volkswagen Golf at Main Street, Tallaght.
A woman passenger alighted from the car and made her way into the Cash For Gold shop on Main Street.
It was alleged that Mr Maughan was in this woman’s company and was found in possession of two kilos of gold jewellery.
When the gardai approached, Mr Maughan ran and was arrested after a foot chase.
It was believed that the jewellery was taken in the course of a burglary, with in excess of €100,000 worth recovered by gardai and more than €100,000 worth still outstanding, Det Gda O’Leary said.
He believed Mr Maughan was aware of the location of the outstanding jewellery and would dispose of it if granted bail.
Maughan’s Solicitor, Padraig O’Donovan, said his client was not charged with burglary, but with handling in excess of €50,000 worth of jewellery.
Det Gda O’Leary told Mr O’Donovan that Maughan “alluded in custody that he may know where it was.”
Mr O’Donovan said his instructions were that “that didn’t occur at all” while the accused was being interviewed.
Judge Jones refused bail, saying the detective believed that Mr Maughan “knows where that jewellery is and is not telling anyone.” He remanded Maughan in custody to appear before the court on February 2.
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