Trial of four in tiger kidnapping case continues

The trial of four men accused of being members of a gang has heard how two men brought cash in a plastic shopping bag to pay for a second-hand car.

Jason Kavanagh, 39, of Corduff Avenue, Blanchardstown, Dublin; Christopher Corcoran, 66, of Bayside Boulevard North, Sutton, Dublin; Mark Farrelly, 42, of Moatview Court, Priorswood, Coolock, Dublin; and Alan Costello, 50, of Cromcastle Road, Coolock pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to five charges each.

They are accused of falsely imprisoning Paul Richardson at Ashcroft, Raheny, Dublin on the night of March 13 and 14, 2005, and of falsely imprisoning Marie, Ian and Kevin Richardson on the same dates.

The four accused are also charged with robbery of €2.28m in cash from Paul Richardson and Securicor Security Services Ireland Ltd.

Alan Moran told Dominic McGinn SC, prosecuting, that in April 2005 a man identified as “Costello” contacted him in relation to the sale of a second hand Alfa Romeo car.

He said this man and another man named as “Ken” came to test drive the car. He said the second man then took €9,000 cash from a plastic Tesco shopping bag.

Mr Moran said he thought it was unusual as that the cash was made up of €20 note bundles.

Leo Dunne from Auto Maintenance Services Ltd gave evidence that a man named Alan Costello left a Fiat Cinquecento car in for repairs. He said Mr Costello's number was a number which has previously being described as the “pink phone” in relation to the tiger kidnapping.

Alan Drumgoole told Patrick Marrinan SC, defending Christopher Corcoran, that he was arrested a month after the robbery and questioned about a “flurry of calls” between himself and two other suspects on the night of the robbery.

He admitted lying to gardai when he told them he had contacted one of these men, taxi driver David Byrne, on a number known as the “purple phone” in order to book a taxi.

He agreed that there was an inference that the purple phone was used up in the Dublin mountains during the kidnapping.

He told Mr McGinn that he lied to gardai because he was “terrified”. He said David Byrne was one of his best friends and he was “covering up for him”.

He told counsel that he had absolutely nothing to do with the Securicor robbery and he was nowhere near Raheny at the time.

Under further cross examination he admitted to Mr Marrinan that he “landed” David Byrne in it when he identified the purple phone as belonging to him and said he didn't know Mr Byrne very well.

The court heard that nearly €6,000 in cash was found in Mr Drumgoole's bedroom during a search of a premises in Swords rented by him.

The trial will resume in evidence on Friday before Judge Martin Nolan and a jury of nine men and three women.