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Couple Robbed Betting Shop 'to adopt children'

``Both Patrick Geoghegan (27) of Casement Green, Finglas West, Dublin and Sinead Kelly (27), The Close, Huntersrun, Clonee, Co Meath pleaded guilty to the charge of stealing €17,300 from Paddy Powers bookies in Clonee on July 27, 2001.

``Kelly had worked in the shop for four years at the time and she also pleaded guilty to making a false statement to gardai (Irish Police).

``Judge Raymond Groarke complimented the garda investigation which found discrepancies between her statement and the security video footage of what was alleged to have taken place on the day.

``...The earlier court heard that Geoghegan told gardai he was in financial difficulties, that the couple couldn't have children and wanted to clear their debts so they could adopt.

``During the staged robbery, Kelly was left tied to a table on the premises and initially told gardai she had been confronted by a man carrying a gun when she parked her car after arriving for work.

``...She then said she was told to open the safe, replied there was a time delay on it and was then tied to the table by the raider who emptied the contents of the safe into a black holdall.

``However, gardai looked at her mobile phone records and found she had sent four text messages to Geoghegan before the robbery and had communicated with the third alleged raider by phone..."

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