Gardai 'stunned to find millions in cash hidden inside cupboard'
Trial told of bags bulging with sterling
An armed garda stands guard as detectives arrive with boxes full of money as evidence in the Northern Ireland Bank robbery money laundering case at Cork Circuit Court yesterday
More photos:Tuesday January 27 2009
THE jury in the trial of a Cork father and son accused of laundering more than Stg£3m (€3.25m) from the Northern Bank robbery heard yesterday of how gardai found multiple holdall bags filled with bundles of sterling at the home of one of the men.
Ted Cunningham (60), of Woodbine Lodge, Farran, Co Cork, denies 20 charges of money laundering, while his son, Timothy Cunningham (33), of Church View, Farran, denies four charges of money laundering, all between December 20, 2004 and February 16, 2005.
Inspector Declan O'Sullivan said that shortly before midnight on February 16, 2005, he went to the house in Farran with six other gardai.
The door was opened by Ted Cunningham's partner and a search warrant was presented to her.
Inspector O'Sullivan said another garda brought it to his attention that there was a cupboard in the basement with a combination lock which could not be opened.
Ted Cunningham arrived at the property at 4am on February 17, 2005 and the warrant was explained to him.
Mr Cunningham agreed to open the locked cupboard.
Inspector O'Sullivan said Mr Cunningham told him he had personal items in the cupboard. When asked what kind of personal items, he replied "money". He told gardai he had "a couple of million sterling" in the cupboard.
Combination
The court heard Mr Cunningham could not remember the combination for the lock. However, he said he would break open the door of the cupboard. Inspector O'Sullivan stated the cupboard held five or six hold-all bags containing cash and a Dunnes Stores bag.
"I could see the bags were bulging with Northern Ireland sterling. There was a moment of shocked silence from everyone in the room. We were kind of looking at each other."
Inspector O'Sullivan stated that Mr Cunningham immediately blurted out that the money was not from the Northern Bank robbery. He said he asked him why they would think that and Mr Cunningham replied "As soon as I saw it on the telly I knew I had the money down in the basement."
Mr Cunningham was immediately cautioned and told of his right to remain silent.
A short time later Inspector O'Sullivan asked Ted Cunningham if he would answer some questions in an adjoining laundry room. He agreed and reportedly told gardai that the money in the bags would be his, subject to the sale of a sandpit going through.
He said there was £2.3m sterling in the bags and that he got it from a client he was dealing with in Bulgaria.
He also alleged he planned to declare the money to the Revenue.
Ted Cunningham claimed he had received a phone call the previous September/October (2004) and made arrangements to pick up the money from a man in a church yard across the road from his house.
"I took them (the bags) out of the four wheel drive car and brought it down here where you found them."
The trial continues today in front of Judge Cornelius Murphy.
- Olivia Kelleher
