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| Ex security guard Eddie Maher jailed for £1.2m theft | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A man who spent almost 20 years on the run in the US has been jailed for five years for stealing a security van containing £1.2m in Suffolk. | |
| Eddie Maher, 57, had been wanted by police since the Securicor van he was driving disappeared from outside Lloyds Bank, Felixstowe, on 22 January 1993. | Eddie Maher, 57, had been wanted by police since the Securicor van he was driving disappeared from outside Lloyds Bank, Felixstowe, on 22 January 1993. |
| He was arrested in Missouri in February 2012. | He was arrested in Missouri in February 2012. |
| Maher, originally of South Woodham Ferrers, Essex, entered a last-minute guilty plea at Southwark Crown Court. | Maher, originally of South Woodham Ferrers, Essex, entered a last-minute guilty plea at Southwark Crown Court. |
| On the day of the theft he had been on a delivery run with colleague Peter Bunn, who was responsible for carrying cash from the van to the bank. | On the day of the theft he had been on a delivery run with colleague Peter Bunn, who was responsible for carrying cash from the van to the bank. |
| Van 'disappeared' | Van 'disappeared' |
| Prosecutor Richard Southern QC said: "Mr Bunn recalls that when they arrived in Felixstowe the bank was not open and he had to wait a while. | Prosecutor Richard Southern QC said: "Mr Bunn recalls that when they arrived in Felixstowe the bank was not open and he had to wait a while. |
| "Once inside he was delayed and tried to contact Mr Maher to tell him. | "Once inside he was delayed and tried to contact Mr Maher to tell him. |
| "He could not make contact but was not at that point concerned because the radio signal was variable. | "He could not make contact but was not at that point concerned because the radio signal was variable. |
| "It was not until he came out of the bank that he found the van had disappeared." | "It was not until he came out of the bank that he found the van had disappeared." |
| It is thought Maher drove the van to nearby Landguard Point where he got into its secure area and loaded about 30 sacks of cash into a stolen getaway vehicle. | It is thought Maher drove the van to nearby Landguard Point where he got into its secure area and loaded about 30 sacks of cash into a stolen getaway vehicle. |
| He used false identities while on the run and built a new life in the US. | He used false identities while on the run and built a new life in the US. |
| At the time of his arrest on 9 February 2012, he was working as a cable engineer in Missouri. | At the time of his arrest on 9 February 2012, he was working as a cable engineer in Missouri. |
| 'Found on Google' | 'Found on Google' |
| David Nathan QC, mitigating, said: "It does take a degree of courage to face up to an offence as old as this." | David Nathan QC, mitigating, said: "It does take a degree of courage to face up to an offence as old as this." |
| He added: "An extraordinary aspect of this case is Mr Maher's daughter-in-law had originally been the partner of his son Lee's best friend. | He added: "An extraordinary aspect of this case is Mr Maher's daughter-in-law had originally been the partner of his son Lee's best friend. |
| "Lee won a lot of money on the lottery and she left her partner to marry Lee. | "Lee won a lot of money on the lottery and she left her partner to marry Lee. |
| "When the money ran out, she did a little research on Google on the name Maher and found out he was wanted for the theft back in 1993. | "When the money ran out, she did a little research on Google on the name Maher and found out he was wanted for the theft back in 1993. |
| "She heard that there was a reward and she went to the federal authorities." | "She heard that there was a reward and she went to the federal authorities." |
| He added that shortly before his arrest, Maher had visited a local police station to bail Lee King out after he was arrested for a motoring offence. | He added that shortly before his arrest, Maher had visited a local police station to bail Lee King out after he was arrested for a motoring offence. |
| "He was told by one of the local officers that there was a rumour he was wanted for an offence in the UK," Mr Nathan added. | "He was told by one of the local officers that there was a rumour he was wanted for an offence in the UK," Mr Nathan added. |
| "He took the children and his partner to a hotel, no doubt with the intention of fleeing but thought better of it. | "He took the children and his partner to a hotel, no doubt with the intention of fleeing but thought better of it. |
| "He took his younger son to school and then was arrested the following day." | "He took his younger son to school and then was arrested the following day." |
| 'Looking over shoulder' | 'Looking over shoulder' |
| Speaking outside court, Det Insp David Giles, from Suffolk Police, said: "Maher said he was forced to carry out this crime and that he only got a small amount of money from it. | Speaking outside court, Det Insp David Giles, from Suffolk Police, said: "Maher said he was forced to carry out this crime and that he only got a small amount of money from it. |
| "He never named the people who he claimed forced him into it and never put forward a credible story. | "He never named the people who he claimed forced him into it and never put forward a credible story. |
| "We have succeeded in proving that he profited substantially from the theft and was a key player in the planning and execution of it. | "We have succeeded in proving that he profited substantially from the theft and was a key player in the planning and execution of it. |
| "Since his arrest, he has displayed no remorse for what he did - but I get the impression he has spent 20 years looking over his shoulder and hoping the law would not catch up with him." | "Since his arrest, he has displayed no remorse for what he did - but I get the impression he has spent 20 years looking over his shoulder and hoping the law would not catch up with him." |
| Maher's partner, Deborah Brett, 47; Maher's sister Margaret Francis, 64, and a 54-year-old man, from Woodford Green, east London, are all on bail after being arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit theft. | Maher's partner, Deborah Brett, 47; Maher's sister Margaret Francis, 64, and a 54-year-old man, from Woodford Green, east London, are all on bail after being arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit theft. |