'I'm on Welfare after cab took all my money', claims wife of murdered crime boss 'Fat' Andy

Ann Connors (40) was hit with a massive €2.5m CAB bill in March last year in the wake of her husband's murder.

She made the claim in Dun Laoghaire District Court, where she was found guilty of possession of a screwdriver and a pair of gloves for use in a theft or burglary.

Crime boss 'Fat' Andy Connors was shot five times before dying in his wife's arms outside their home in Saggart in Co Dublin in August 2014.

He was buried in a €50,000 gold-plated coffin wearing a €40,000 Rolex watch.

Soon after the CAB judgement against her, Ann Connors was nabbed by gardai driving around an affluent south Dublin suburb with a screwdriver, gloves and a balaclava.

Burglary

A judge said she believed Mrs Connors was "part and parcel of an enterprise to commit a burglary" after two young men got out of her car and were seen walking up a driveway in Leopardstown.

Both men were wearing gloves and had their faces covered.

An off-duty garda spotted Connors driving on the M50 and followed her to Leopardstown, where gardai believe the intended burglary was to take place.

The defendant, of Boberboy Road, Saggart, was found guilty of possession of a 12-inch screwdriver and a pair of black gloves for use in a theft or burglary at Leopardstown Avenue in Leopardstown on April 19.

Judge Anne Watkin ordered a probation report and adjourned sentencing to May.

The judge also deferred legal aid after gardai objected, claiming that, at the time of the incident, Connors still had €13,000 in a bank account.

Connors told the court she had "never seen" the screwdriver or gloves before.

In his evidence, Garda Dermot Haugh said he was off duty and driving southbound on the M50 when he saw a brown Nissan Almera being driven in an erratic manner. He recognised Connors, who was the driver, as well as a young male in the front seat. There was a second young male and two children in the back.

Gda Haugh followed the car, which took Junction 15 off the M50.

He followed the car down Brewery Road in Stillorgan, lost sight of it briefly but saw it again parked up at Leopardstown Avenue.

He saw the two male passengers from Connors' car walking up a driveway. One had a green balaclava, while the second had his face covered with a wool hat. Both were wearing gloves.

Gda Haugh said they ran back and got into the car when they spotted him.

The car did a U-turn and, as it turned out of the estate, a screwdriver was thrown out of the passenger window.

The car was searched by gardai and a pair of gloves and a white sock with £160 (€184) was found.

Handcuffed

Connors was arrested and taken to Blackrock Garda Station. Gardai searched the patrol car after she was taken to the station, and a pair of black gloves was found in the footwell where she had been sitting.

In her evidence, Connors said she had never seen the screwdriver or gloves before.

She claimed she was on her way to visit her ill sister-in-law in hospital, when she was pulled over, handcuffed and assaulted by gardai.

Judge Watkin said Connors was telling "complete lies".