GARDAÍ found €30,000 in cash wrapped in a sock in a drawer in the home of a woman accused of possessing money that it is alleged she knew to be the proceeds of crime.
Gardaí who called to the woman’s house with a search warrant were shown the money, vacuum packed, wrapped in a sock, and kept in a drawer in her bedroom, along with a separate sum of €3,000 in a wallet.
She told Gardaí that the money in the sock belonged to her boyfriend and the money in the wallet was for a holiday they were planning to take in Benidorm.
Raymond Collopy (55), of St Munchin’s Street, St Mary’s Park, Limerick, and Ciara Bradshaw (45), of Sarsfield Avenue, Upper Pennywell, Garryowen, Limerick, entered not guilty pleas before Judge Colin Daly at the Limerick Circuit Criminal Court.
A jury of seven women and five men was sworn in to hear the case against the two accused.
Prosecution barrister John O’Sullivan told the jury that the prosecution alleges that Mr Collopy and Ms Bradshaw were each in possession of €32,960 at Ms Bradshaw’s address on April 15, 2019.
He said the cash “is alleged to be the proceeds of criminal conduct, and it is alleged the accused each knew the money to have been the proceeds of crime, or they were reckless as to the cash being the proceeds of criminal conduct.”
The court heard evidence that Ms Bradshaw opened the door to Gardaí on the day and, having been informed that the search warrant was under the Misuse of Drugs act, informed officers that there were “no drugs here”.
She told the Gardaí that there was “money upstairs belonging to my boyfriend and more he gave me to mind for him”.
She brought Gardaí upstairs and took out the cash wrapped in a white sock from a drawer and showed them the wallet, which was beside two passports, hers and Mr Collopy’s.
The Garda witness gave evidence that the money in the sock was vacuum packed in three bundles and amounted to almost €30,000.
He asked Ms Bradshaw why she was in possession of the money and she said Mr Collopy had asked her to look after it while his house was empty as he was away on a fishing trip.
The €3,000 contained in the wallet was for a planned holiday in Spain, she said.
‘Thanks to ye’
Detective Garda Declan O’Halloran told the court that he arrested Mr Collopy on May 16, 2019. In Henry Street Garda station, Mr Collopy did not elect to have a solicitor present while being questioned, the court heard.
Mr O’Sullivan read over notes of the interview to the court and the witness.
During the interview, Mr Collopy told Gardaí that he had a credit union account for many years and had borrowed €4,000 the previous November for “Christmas stuff for my kids”, and for money for the Benidorm holiday.
He told Gardaí that he and Ms Bradshaw were no longer in a relationship now, “thanks to ye”.
Asked about the larger sums found in the sock, he said these were proceeds of the sale of a boat and a car which he owned.
Asked what his income was, he said that he was being paid disability and won various sums of money in fishing competitions.
He said the money did not belong to Ms Bradshaw but was his and was previously kept down the edge of a couch in his home.
Asked why he didn’t keep it in a bank, he said he was “looking to buy a holiday home on the Clare coast with my family. Cash is king”.
The case continues before the Circuit Criminal Court in Limerick.
