The Director of Public Prosecutions v Kevin Tinnelly

Amount Forfeited

£35,500 sterling

Court Date

22 June 2015

Venue

Dublin Criminal Court of Justice

Judge

Mary Ellen Ring

Summary

On 22 June 2015 at Dublin Criminal Court of Justice, Judge Mary Ellen Ring ordered the forfeiture to the Exchequer of cash amounting to £35,500 sterling pursuant to Section 39, Criminal Justice Act 1994, as amended by Section 21, Proceeds of Crime (Amendment) Act 2005, on the grounds that it was proven on the balance of probabilities to represent the proceeds of crime, or was intended for use in criminal conduct.

On 4 August 2011 Revenue Enforcement Officers at Dublin Port seized and detained the cash from David Stevenson, who was the driver of a lorry disembarking from the MV Norbay, arriving from Liverpool.

Following an investigation by Revenue's Investigations and Prosecutions Division a file on the matter was referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions who ordered the forfeiture proceedings.

It had been claimed that the cash was the proceeds of the sale of scrap metal by a company, Bulktrans Ltd, based in Rostrevor, Northern Ireland. It was then also claimed that the seized cash belonged to one Kevin Tinnelly, of Newry, Co. Down, a manager in the company. Mr. Tinnelly claimed to have made the sale in a personal capacity, and that the money was his. However these claims were proven to be false, and were not accepted by the Court.

Kevin Tinnelly was represented by Counsel who opposed the forfeiture application.