Northern Bank trial told how banker was threatened at gunpoint

The assistant manager of the Northern Bank cash centre in Belfast described today how a man posing as a policeman called to his house late at night telling him his sister had been killed before going on to threaten the banker at gunpoint to play a key part in the crime.

Timothy (Ted) Cunningham (aged 60) of Woodbine Lodge, Farran, Co Cork, denies 20 charges of money laundering arising out of the robbery of £26.5m (€28.2bn) sterling from the Northern Bank in Belfast on December 20, 2004. His son, Timothy John Cunningham, aged 33, Church View, Farran, Co Cork, denies four similar charges.

Kevin McMullan was called as a prosecution witness in the trial at Cork Circuit Criminal Court of the father and son charged with laundering over £3m (€3.2m) from the robbery.

Mr Mullan said he was the assistant manager and key-holder of the cash centre at Donegall Square West, Belfast, in December 2004.

“I was at home on the night of December 19, 2004 with my wife, Karen. A car came into the driveway of the house late in the evening. A man dressed as a police officer knocked at the door and asked me to confirm that I was Kevin McMullan. He said my sister had been killed and I was being asked to identify the body.

“This man followed me in. Other members of what turned out to be a gang took control of my wife, myself and my home. A gun was put to the back of my head, also to my wife’s head. We were both tied up with plastic ties to tie our hands.

“A man pulled a hat down over my wife’s face and tape around her head at eye level. They then led her away from the house. Two men stayed in the house with me. They went through a plan to be followed out the next day at work. If I didn’t comply fully or if anything went wrong my wife would be killed. They repeated that threat throughout the night.

“I was told I was to go to work. I had no choice because of the threat made against my wife. I feared these men would carry out the threat, if anything went wrong with the robbery that my wife would be killed. They said, “We’ll shoot her in the head, we will damage her beyond repair”, and that I would be killed,” Mr McMullan testified in Cork.

He said that he went to the vault, sent staff home and got £26.5m (€28.2m) for the gang.The case continues tomorrow.