Tiger kidnapping trial hears accused took sick leave after robbery

A detective sergeant has revealed that a man on trial for a €2.28m "tiger kidnapping" robbery said one of his co-accused rang him on the morning of the crime.

Detective Sergeant Sean Brennan of the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, said Mr Niall Byrne was leaving garda custody on April 28, 2005 when he told him: "Jason rang me that morning but it’s not what you think".

Det Sgt Brennan said Mr Byrne confirmed he was referring to co-accused Mr Jason Kavanagh but declined to sign a note of the conversation.

Detective Garda Patrick Flood told prosecution counsel, Mr Denis Vaughan Buckley SC, that he was present when his colleague took the note, read it back to Mr Byrne and asked him to sign it.

He denied the note was "incorrect" when Mr Feargal Kavanagh SC, defending Mr Byrne, put it to him that there wouldn’t have been enough time for the conversation and note-taking to happen as his client was leaving the garda station to meet his brother outside.

Mr Byrne (aged 27), of Aughavanagh Road, Crumlin and Mr Kavanagh (aged 34), of Parslickstown Court, Ladyswell with Mr David Byrne (aged 36) of Old Brazeel Way, Knocksedan, Swords; Mr Mark Farrelly (aged 37) of Moatview Court, Priorswood and Mr Christopher Corcoran (aged 61), of Bayside Boulevard North, Sutton all deny two charges.

They have pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbing €2.28m from Mr Paul Richardson and Securicor and to falsely imprisoning the Richardson family on March 13 and 14, 2005.

A Securicor supervisor told prosecution counsel, Mr Dominic McGinn BL, that former staff member Mr (Niall) Byrne had gone home sick around noon on April 14, 2005.

Mr Glen Kelly said Mr Byrne’s work records showed he worked eight days and took 12 days off sick between the robbery date and when he left his ATM Department job at Securicor on April 26, 2005.

He agreed when Mr Kavanagh put it to him that Securicor had on file a doctor’s sick note from Mr Byrne for a back injury on April 14, 2005.

Securicor worker Mr James Murphy said Mr (Niall) Byrne phoned him on April 18, 2005 looking for a lift to Carlow to pick up a car he was buying.

Mr Murphy said he picked Mr Byrne up at a Crumlin pub and noticed his passenger had a white plastic bag.

He said Mr Byrne told him he’d taken out a €10,000 Bank of Ireland loan that day and was planning to sell his old car to raise the rest of the money for the newer car.

Mr Murphy told Mr McGinn that he didn’t see his colleague at work after that date.

It was day-37 of the trial which continues before Judge Tony Hunt and a jury of seven men and five women.