Chipper worker used inside knowledge for €15k burglary
A Hungarian national working in a chipper in Bandon used his knowledge of the business to set up a €15,000 burglary back in 2008 and later fled the country.
Sandor Vuscics broke down crying as he was jailed for a year yesterday. He paid back all of the money taken in the burglary at Danielle’s chipper but was jailed by Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin. Vuscics, aged 35, broke down at Cork Circuit Criminal Court when he got the jail sentence saying: “Judge please, I am begging you.”
The accused man was taken into custody to commence his sentence. On the application of John Devlin, defending, the judge agreed to list the case for mention on July 5 for a determination of what allowance should be made for time the defendant already spent remanded in custody at an earlier stage.
Det Sgt Ann Murphy said just over €15,000 was taken from the chipper on February 1, 2018. The cash was stolen overnight on that date. The investigation led gardaí to look at the possibility someone with a working knowledge of the building may have been involved.
When Vuscics, who worked at the premises at that time, was questioned he made admissions and ultimately pleaded guilty to his part in the crime.
He admitted that on the day before he had been on the premises, made a video of rooms on his phone, drew a map, indicated where alarm sensors were positioned and left a window open. Those who carried out the burglary only opened drawers where the cash was stored on that night.
Det Sgt Murphy said the defendant told gardaí he was to be paid 10% of the proceeds of the crime for the information he supplied. The detective said there was insufficient evidence to charge anyone other than Vuscics. He absconded and was arrested on a European arrest warrant in 2017.
The accused was re-admitted to bail after that and came over and back from London where he runs a confectionary business and studies law, Mr Devlin said.
The barrister added that even though the accused was one of three he had paid all €15,000 that was taken. Judge Ó Donnabháin said there had to be a custodial sentence because of the planning in what was a very determined burglary.
