Security man was ‘inside man’ in €2m ‘tiger’ kidnap

A SECURITY company worker has been convicted for being the ‘inside man’ in a €2.08million cash-in-transit van robbery 13 years ago.

This is the third time Niall Byrne was on trial for the heist, with the other two trials ending with hung juries.

Byrne, 36, of Crumlin Road Flats, Dublin and three other men denied being part of the armed gang that kidnapped the Richardson family from their home on March 13, 2005.

The gang forced Securicor van driver Paul Richardson to collect the money while his wife Marie and their two teenage sons were held at gunpoint in the Dublin Mountains.

Just before noon on Tuesday, having deliberated for just under 18 hours, the jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court convicted Byrne of conspiracy to robbery.

The jury foreman told Judge Melanie Greally they were unable to agree a verdict on the kidnapping charges and Judge Greally recorded a disagreement.

Byrne, Mark Farrelly, 47, Moatview Court, Priorswood, Coolock, Christopher Corcoran, 70, of Rosedale, Raheny and David Byrne, 45, of Old Brazil Way, Knocksedan, Swords had all pleaded not guilty to robbing Mr Richardson and Securicor of €2.08 million on March 14, 2005 and to the false imprisonment of the Richardson family at their home at Ashcroft, Raheny on March 13 and 14, 2005.

On Monday afternoon the jury convicted Farrelly, Corcoran and David Byrne of five counts of robbery and false imprisonment of the four Richardsons.

Judge Melanie Greally remanded all four men into custody to appear before the court on June 5 next.