The manager of a west Belfast cigarette warehouse raided by armed men last year denied yesterday that he had any advance knowledge of the robbery. He told Belfast Crown Court that if he had been "tipped off" by police he would not have agreed to go along with anything involving his family.
Before the raid on February 12th, 1996, the manager was forced to return to the Boucher Road depot while his wife and three children were held hostage.
He was giving evidence against eight men, including two Dubliners who have denied stealing £300,000 pounds worth of cigarettes from Holmes Tobacco Sales.
The robbery was foiled when police forced their way into the premises during the raid and found cigarettes being loaded into two vehicles.
The eight defendants also deny falsely imprisoning the manager and the supervisor who were being held at gunpoint with other members of staff in the canteen.
Those arrested in the warehouse are Mr Desmond Christie (32) of Rathoath Drive, Dublin; Mr Derek Sweetman (38) of Dingle Road, Cabra, Dublin; Mr Christopher Moran (39) of Rock Grove, Belfast; Mr Seamus Hawkins (53) of Summerhill Gardens, Dunmurry; Mr Bernard McElkerney (39) of Ross Street, Belfast; and Mr Michael Russell (25) of Falls Road, Belfast.
Mr Martin Devlin (31) of Norglen Road, Belfast, was found in the canteen, and Mr Kevin McCaffrey (32) of Riverdale Park South, Belfast, was arrested as he allegedly ran away from the premises. The trial continues.