Burglary team may be undone by sock and can loot

A Dublin pair arrested in rural Mullingar after allegedly robbing a house were given a highly conditional bail in Athlone District Court on Wednesday (May 7 ) after jewellery was allegedly found in a sock and a child’s drink. Bridget (33 ) and Hugh (34 ) Cash, brother and sister-in-law, from Boot Road, Clondalkin, Dublin 22, and Sundale Avenue, Tallaght, Dublin 24 respectively were arrested in a car in Loughegar, off the Delvin Road, Mullingar with an unnamed minor on May 6. In her application to oppose bail Garda Yvonne Kilbane from Mullingar Garda Station told Judge Seamus Hughes how she had attended at the home of a named woman after she had called gardaí on her return to the house on Tuesday evening to report an alleged break-in. Garda Kilbane explained how, after talking with a neighbour, her attention was brought to a couple sitting in a car with a child on the public road nearby. She said that after talking to the couple she searched the car, and found a sock under the back seat. “Judge, [the named victim] recognised the sock as one of her husband’s, and inside it was her jewellery,” said Garda Kilbane. She also revealed that when she checked the can of soft drink being drunk by the minor she found more jewellery inside it, which was also claimed by the victim. She told the judge that between them the accused had a total of 23 bench warrants issued for missing previous court dates (13 for Hugh, 10 for Bridget ), and for this the Gardaí were seeking a remand in custody. Defending solicitor, Mr Conor Ruane, appearing for the first time before Judge Hughes, attempted to talk over the judge just once too often, and was quickly censured. “Are you finished? In this court when I’m talking you stay quiet. We’ll get our ducks in order,” the judge assured him. After a short adjournment, Garda Kilbane told the court that gardaí might accede to bail for the pair, but only under stringent conditions. Judge Hughes ordered the pair to sign on daily at Tallaght Garda Station, observe a curfew, stay out of Westmeath save for court appearances, and provide a cash bail of €500 each. Mr Ruane indicated that this might be a difficulty for the two, but asked for a little more time to raise the money when Judge Hughes began arranging to remand the pair in Castlerea and Dóchas prisons. When told that a friend was driving down from Dublin with the cash, and would be in Athlone before the court office closed at 6pm, he remanded both in temporary custody in Athlone Garda Station until the bail was lodged, and if this was done, for them to re-appear before Mullingar District Court on Friday (May 9 ).