Suspected human faeces among evidence taken from a hostage scene, court told
A jury has heard that suspected human faeces was taken from a hostage scene after a kidnap victim pointed out an area to gardaí where he said one of the culprits had “gone to the toilet”.
Jason Kavanagh (aged 39) of Corduff Avenue, Blanchardstown, Christopher Corcoran (aged 66) of Bayside Boulevard North, Sutton, Mark Farrelly (aged 42) of Moatview Court, Priorswood, Coolock, and Alan Costello (aged 50) of Cromcastle Road, Coolock have pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to five charges each.
They are accused of falsely imprisoning Securicor van driver Paul Richardson at Ashcroft, Raheny, Dublin on the night of March 13 and 14, 2005 and falsely imprisoning Marie, Ian and Kevin Richardson on the same dates.
The four are also charged with robbery of €2.28m in cash from Mr Richardson and Securicor Security Services Ireland Ltd.
Detective Garda Michael Keating, who is retired from the ballistic section of the Garda Technical Bureau told Seamus Clarke BL, prosecuting, that he removed a number of exhibits from the hostage scene in a forest area known as Cloon Wood, outside Enniskerry, Wicklow.
He said he took “a quantity of excrement and soiled toilet paper” from a small public parking area at the entrance of the forest after Kevin Richardson told gardaí that one of the kidnappers had “used the toilet there”.
A sellotape lift was also taken from a log where one of the raiders supposedly sat. Twelve plastic cables ties found nearby were also taken by the gardai.
A brightly coloured head band which was found hanging from a tree was removed for evidence as gardaí suspected it may have been used as a marker.
Gardaí also removed a number of cigarette butts, a packet of cigarettes and a bottle of milk.
Det Gda Keating said each of the items were sent forward to the State Forensic Laboratory for further examination.
Det Gda James Cunningham told the jury that he examined a black Isuzu jeep which had allegedly been used by the gang.
He recovered a number of items from the vehicle which he also forwarded for technical examination including, two cheque books, empty drinks bottles and chocolate wrappers, construction plans, a sandwich wrapper, a Meatloaf CD, salt and ketchup sachets from fast food restaurants, cable ties, business cards, a magazine, a pickaxe handle, Cadbury chocolate eggs and batteries.
Det Gda Cunningham said he developed finger and palm marks from the vehicle and the items found within it.
He recovered five marks from the back door of the jeep, one from a beacon on top of the jeep, one from a pen case found inside and nine from a brown bag found in the back of the jeep. There was also a mark recovered from construction plans.
The jury were told that finger and palm marks taken from the Richardson’s home and also from the jeep and its contents were all sent forward for analysis.
None of those marks recovered were positively identified as belonging to the five accused before the court. Nineteen marks recovered from the Richardson’s home remain unidentified.
The trial continues before Judge Martin Nolan and a jury of nine men and three women.
