Pair ‘went to cash-for-gold shop with €50k of stolen gems’

A DUBLIN man and an English mother were allegedly ‘caught red-handed’ bringing €50,000 worth of stolen jewellery into a cash for gold shop.

Michael Maughan, 23, and Kathleen Kiely, 30, were both refused bail, after a court heard Mr Maughan was in possession of 2kg of gold jewellery. It was believed the jewellery was taken during a burglary, and while €100,000 worth was recovered, over €100,000 worth is outstanding.

Mr Maughan was seen driving a Volkswagen Golf at Main Street, Tallaght, Dublin, and a woman got out and went to the ‘cash-for-gold’ shop, Dublin District Court heard.

Detective Garda Redmond O’Leary said he believed Mr Maughan knew where the outstanding jewellery was and would dispose of it if he was given bail. Judge Gerry Jones asked if he was ‘caught red-handed’ and Det Garda O’Leary agreed he was.

The outstanding jewellery included more than €50,000 worth of pearls, the court heard. Mr Maughan, of Hazel Hill, Tallaght, was charged with handling stolen property, while mother-of-one Ms Kiely, from Lymington Avenue, London, was charged with possession of stolen property on January 25 last.

Det Garda O’Leary said Mr Maughan made ‘no admissions whatsoever’, but added that the accused ‘alluded in custody that he may know where it was’. Defence solicitor Pádraig O’Donovan said his instructions were that ‘that didn’t occur at all’ while the accused was being interviewed.

‘Not while he was being interviewed, no,’ the detective replied.

Judge Jones refused bail, and the accused pair were remanded in custody, to appear in court next Friday.