Northern Bank accused made late change to staff rota, trial hears

THE bank official charged with the £26.5 million (€33m) Northern Bank robbery made last-minute changes to the rota of staff who had a key to the vault to put himself on duty that day.

Christopher Ward, aged 26, went on trial yesterday at Belfast Crown Court charged with the robbery in December 2004. He also faces two charges of falsely imprisoning a fellow keyholder and his wife. Ward, of Colinmill, Poleglass, Belfast, denies all charges.

Opening the prosecution case, Gordon Kerr said the robbery was an organised crime by a gang with good inside knowledge.

The court was told Ward was in charge of drawing up the rota and made changes late on a Friday afternoon to put himself on duty on the late shift the following Monday with a senior keyholder manager in the cash centre.

That colleague, Kevin McMullan and his wife Kyran had no children, lived in a house in the Co Down countryside, which was detached, easy to observe and to guard.

The gang kidnapped Mrs McMullan before ordering her husband to work.

“It is clear from the evidence to be given by the McMullans that the robbers knew a considerable amount about them and their situation. This suggests, we would submit, a considerable degree of inside knowledge,” said Mr Kerr.

“Knowing who the keyholders were and the rota was an essential prerequisite of successfully launching the robbery in the way it was, clearly planned some time in advance.”

The prosecution held that the last-minute switch of Ward’s shift was “deliberate to place him on the rota with Mr McMullan”.

He revealed that, as well as his job at the Northern Bank cash centre in Donegall Square, Ward regularly worked as a barman in the Casement Park Social Club on the Andersonstown Road in republican west Belfast.

On the night of December 19, 2004, Ward did not turn up for work at the club, did not make contact or answer his phone.

A female friend even checked hospitals because she was so worried — all before 10pm when a gang called at Ward’s home.

Evidence would be given that the intruders gathered the family together, collected all their mobile phones, disconnected the house phone and told the family they were armed.

Ward was told to gather up his work clothes and to leave with the gang.

Also on that Sunday evening a gang called at Kevin McMullan’s home.

Dressed as police officers, they gained entrance by claiming a member of the banker’s family had been involved in an accident and he was required to make an identification.

Immediately he invited them in, a gun was put to his head and he was attacked, said Mr Kerr.

The trial continues.