'Tiger' trial hears mobile phone evidence
A phone company engineer has revealed the heavy call traffic between mobile phone numbers in a €2.28m "tiger kidnapping" investigation.
Mr Kevin Dowling of Vodafone Ireland read from his company’s records details of frequent calls made from one mobile phone number to other numbers under garda investigation at various north Dublin City locations between March 13 and 14, 2005.
David Byrne (aged 36), of Old Brazeel Way, Knocksedan, Swords; Niall Byrne (aged 27), of Aughavanagh Road, Crumlin; Mark Farrelly (aged 37), of Moatview Court, Priorswood; Christopher Corcoran (aged 61), of Bayside Boulevard North, Sutton; and Jason Kavanagh (aged 34), of Parslickstown Court, Ladyswell, have all pleaded not guilty to falsely imprisoning the Richardson family on March 13 and 14, 2005.
They also pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbing Mr Paul Richardson and Securicor on the same dates.
An O2 Ireland Ltd representative said his company cancelled two of these numbers in 2006 because they hadn’t been in use since the time of the crime.
Mr James O’Gorman told prosecution counsel, Mr Denis Vaughan Buckley SC, that his company cancelled another prepaid phone number on its network because records showed it was last "topped-up" in April 2005.
Mr O’Gorman said he had "no reason" to doubt his company’s records when Mr Fergal Kavanagh SC (for Niall Byrne) pointed out that O2 had recorded six calls made between two of the numbers on March 14 and rival phone company Meteor had not.
The trial continues before Judge Tony Hunt and a jury of seven men and five women.
