Judge refuses bail to two accused of tiger kidnapping

Two men were refused bail today after they were charged with false imprisonment and robbery of €134,000 in connection with a Tiger kidnapping in Dublin last January.

An employee of security firm Brinks Allied, his elderly mother and eight-year-old niece were taken hostage from their home on Bath Avenue, in Irishtown, on January 4 last.

His mother and niece were held while he was sent to intercept a cash-in-transit van which was making a delivery at Bank of Ireland, on O'Connell Street. The man's mother and niece were later released unharmed in Shankill at 12.30 pm.

Today, out of work builder Stefan Saunders (aged 33), a married father of two, with an address at Hazelbury Park, Clonee, Co. Dublin, and Jeffrey Melvin (aged 29), of Hillcrest Lawns, Lucan, in Dublin, were each charged with three counts of false imprisonment and robbery of €134,000 on January 4 last.

They were arrested this morning, Judge Patrick McMahon heard at the Dublin District Court where Gardaí objected to bail citing the seriousness of the offence.

Inspector Sean Campbell said the alleged incident was an “organised crime” which involved a “high level of planning.”

Chief Superintendent Michael O'Sullivan also said further charges could be brought.

Detective Garda Barry Walsh also said that the offence on conviction could result in a possible life sentence.

Mr Seamus Clarke BL defending told the court that the accused men would abide by bail conditions including a curfew and signing on at garda stations. He also submitted that Mr Saunders was agreeable to being electronically tagged, if bail were granted.

The families of each defendant were prepared to stand bail in sums of €22,000 and €20,000, the judge also heard in a plea for bail.

Judge McMahon refused bail and remanded the pair in custody to appear again at Cloverhill District Court on December 23 next.