Judge Kerr said evidence suggested that prior to the incident, members of the gang had carried out reconnaissance on the premises
Stock image of Laganside court building in Belfast (Image: Belfast Live )
An East Belfast man was jailed for a year over his role in a spate of ATM burglaries carried out by an “organised crime gang”.
Jonathon Martin, 38, of Lord Street off the Newtownards Road, had previously pleaded guilty to four charges of burglary with intent to steal.
The offences related to incidents at the Eurospar the Hardford Link in Newtownards on March 30, 2019; Russell’s Food and Drink on the Gilnahirk Road in east Belfast on May 17, 2019; the Spar on the Comber Road in Dundonald on January 27, 2019; Guy’s Newsagents on the Antrim Road in north Belfast on November 8, 2018 and Russell’s Cellars on the Castlereagh Road in east Belfast on December 18, 2018.
Judge Gordon Kerr KC said that through 2018 and 2019 an “organised crime gang” carried out a spate of ATM burglaries – all of which were committed in the early hours of the morning “under the cover of darkness”.
All those targeted were owned by a company called Cardtronics and had an external bunker housing the ATMs and cash.
Judge Kerr said evidence suggested that prior to the incident, members of the gang had carried out reconnaissance on the premises.
Mobile phones and other evidence indicated that they also met up together before the burglaries, travelled to the area and then after the burglaries had taken place, they travelled home.
Regarding the offences, Judge Kerr said that after forcing open the external bunker doors and gaining access, the gang damaged the ATM with angle grinders in order to gain access to the cash cassettes.
Bags of grease were also placed over CCTV cameras and smoke alarms.
Judge Kerr told the court: “Some of these bunkers have resulted in actual theft from the ATMs, others have not been so successful – either because the gang was unable to access the cash or there was some form of police intervention.”
Following an extensive PSNI investigation, a number of arrests were made and a property in Belfast, which was suspected of being used as a ‘meet-up place’ and ‘debriefing point’, was searched.
During the planned search, officers located grinders, saws, crowbars, walkie-talkies and other items.
Judge Kerr said that the total amount taken during the heists was around £1 million.
In relation to Martin, the judge said his involvement in the burglaries amounted to £150,496.
During his sentencing remarks, Judge Kerr said Martin had played a lesser role in the burglaries than others and was not one of the planners or organisers of the heists.
He said he was taking into account that the defendant provided a caring role for his young son who needed round-the-clock attention for his medical needs.
As a result of Martin’s family commitments, Judge Kerr said he would depart from the normal 50/50 split in a determinate custodial sentence.
He told Martin that he would spend 12 months in custody followed by two years on supervised licence on his release from prison.
In October last year, Bryan Rice McCullough, 47, of Ridgeway Street in Belfast and 39-year-old Wayne Wilson from Ivanhoe Avenue in Carryduff, Co Down, were both handed a sentence of five years and three months.
The terms for both men were divided between two years in jail followed by three years and three months on licence.
James Hamilton, 43, from Church Lane in Donaghadee, Co Down, was handed a sentence of three years and nine months, with 20 months to be spent in custody followed by 25 months on licence.
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