Courts / Louth / Report

Financial advisor behind plan to rob businessman who was 'barbarically' beaten is jailed

Summary

At the Special Criminal Court, William Twomey, 58, was sentenced for his role in the 2017 attack on businessman Edward McAndrew in Omeath, Co Louth. Twomey, who pleaded not guilty, was found guilty of assault causing harm, demanding £50,000 with menaces, and robbing McAndrew of various items including a passport and mobile phones. He was found not guilty of false imprisonment. The judge described Twomey as the initiator of a joint enterprise, noting that the violent outcome exceeded his contemplation. He received a headline sentence of two years for the assault and four years for the robbery and demanding money with menaces. The last year of the robbery and demanding money sentences was suspended for two years, resulting in two years' imprisonment on each charge to be served concurrently. The sentence was backdated to August 29, 2023. Twomey signed a €100 bond upon release. Co-accused Thomas McGuinness, who also pleaded not guilty, was acquitted of all charges on September 30. Separately, Anthony Finglas, 49, pleaded guilty to demanding money with menaces and was jailed for four years and nine months.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Financial advisor behind plan to rob businessman who was 'barbarically' beaten is jailed. Charges or matters: assault causing harm to Mr McAndrew, of demanding £50,000 with menaces and of robbing him of his car keys, £200, a travel bag and its contents, a wallet and its contents, a briefcase, two mobiles phones and an Irish passport at Omeath on the same date; all charges; demanding money with menaces from Mr McAndrew in Omeath. Procedural stage: sentence. Findings: Found guilty; Acquitted

When:

• December 2017 Incident
• December 2, 2017 Other
• August 29 Hearing Or Sentence
• September 30 Hearing Or Sentence
• December 2 Incident
• December 3, 2017 Incident
• Christmas Incident
• 2021-10-18 Publication

Why: Twomey had told the court that he had a "cordial" relationship with Mr McAndrew in both a personal and professional capacity but had admitted that he had told authorities in the North that he was in fear of his life because of Mr McAndrew. CNI source report

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Sentence Theft Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report