Tullow businessman sentenced to three years 

A TULLOW businessman has been sentenced to three years’ imprisonment, with the final 18 months suspended, after he was convicted of being in possession of an assortment of stolen power tools and providing five false invoices to the gardaí in order to prove ownership of the tools.

Charles Dunne of Ace Fencing Ltd was also sentenced in connection with attempting to pervert the course of justice following a two-week trial at Carlow Circuit Criminal Court in August last year. The charges arose from incidents that occurred at Carlow Garda Station between January and February 2019.

Judge Sinéad McMullan presided over the original trial that took place last August and, on 5 May, she finalised the matter when Mr Dunne appeared before her at a sitting of Kilkenny Circuit Court.

Mr Dunne (48) Rathmore, Tullow had originally pleaded not guilty to all charges, but, following almost six hours of deliberation at his trial last year, the jury returned guilty verdicts in relation to the possession charge, five charges of using a false instrument and the charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice. They also acquitted him of other charges relating to the same case.

Apart from sentencing Mr Dunne to three years’ imprisonment and suspending the final 18 months, Judge McMullan ordered him to attend the probation services for two years upon his release.

The custodial sentence was adjourned until 10 June when Mr Dunne is to present himself at Carlow Garda Station.