Garda reveals findings cash and phones after raiding accused's home
A detective garda has revealed he found a Burberry scarf, several mobile phones and a large amount of cash after raiding the home of an accused man in a €2.28m "tiger kidnapping" trial.
Detective Garda John Delaney said he also found phone chargers, mobile phone boxes and SIM cards in taxi driver David Byrne’s home at Old Brazeel Way, Knocksedan, Swords on April 27, 2005.
Mr Byrne (aged 36); Mr Mark Farrelly (aged 37) of Moatview Court, Priorswood; Mr Corcoran (aged 61), of Bayside Boulevard North, Sutton; Niall Byrne (aged 27), of Aughavanagh Road, Crumlin; and Jason Kavanagh (aged 34), of Parslickstown Court, Ladyswell 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.
Det Gda Delaney told prosecution counsel, Mr Dominic McGinn BL, that gardaí found €1,700 cash in the taxi driver’s bedroom wardrobe, €2,000 cash in a pair of jeans discarded on the bedroom floor and €170 cash in Mr Byrne’s tracksuit bottoms during the search.
Detective Garda James Rowan told prosecution counsel, Mr Denis Vaughan Buckley SC, that he arrested Mr Gerard Grant, who is not on trial, at his home at Glin Avenue, Coolock on April 27, 2005.
Det Gda Rowan said Mr Grant was "staring in an aggressive manner and sweating profusely" during interview at the garda station.
He agreed when Mr Padraig Dwyer SC (for Mr Kavanagh) put it to him that Mrs Richardson had described in her evidence one of the raiders "sweating profusely".
Det Gda Rowan agreed that Mr Grant made no reply when gardaí asked if he’d descended the Richardsons’ stairs "sweating profusely" with a pillow case over his head and if he’d replaced the "sweat-covered" pillow case with a balaclava cut from a school jumper.
A civilian witness linked what gardai say was Mr Kavanagh’s mobile phone number with one of the numbers active around the Dublin area at the time of the crime.
The witness told Mr McGinn he rang the number around "half a dozen times" on a date in February 2005 because Mr Kavanagh had asked him to fix a glass pane on his front door.
He agreed with Mr Dwyer that he couldn’t remember gardaí showing him phone records when he made his statement and that he didn’t know the number off by heart.
It was day-34 of the trial which continues before Judge Tony Hunt and a jury of seven men and five women.
