Contractor tells court that vehicle used for kidnapping was stolen from him at site

A building contractor has described how a black Jeep used to kidnap a family in a €2.28m robbery was stolen from him at a Malahide construction site.

Mr Tony Coffey said he got out of the Jeep, leaving the key in the ignition at the site entrance on March 7, 2005 and had walked over to another work van when an employee cried out that his vehicle was "running off" down the road.

Mr Coffey told prosecution counsel, Mr Denis Vaughan Buckley SC, that he identified his Jeep’s distinctive alloy wheels and 'Coffey Construction' sticker when gardaí showed him the recovered vehicle nearly two weeks later.

He said gardai showed him a florescent jacket on March 3, 2005 and he confirmed by the splash of red paint on the shoulder and some grease stains elsewhere that it was his and had been inside the Jeep when it was stolen.

He agreed with Mr Ciaran O’Loughlin SC, defending Mr Mark Farrelly, that he told a garda he thought he recognised that accused from working on the construction site the first time he saw him in court.

He added that though he initially placed Mr Farrelly as a construction site worker, he soon decided he could have recognised him from somewhere else.

Mr Farrelly (aged 37) of Moatview Court, Priorswood; Mr Niall Byrne (aged 27), of Aughavanagh Road, Crumlin; Mr Jason Kavanagh (aged 34), of Parslickstown Court, Ladyswell; Mr David Byrne (aged 36) of Old Brazeel Way, Knocksedan, Swords 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.