A co Tipperary cigarette vendor yesterday told Clonmel Circuit Court that his family was handcuffed and had their legs bound and mouths gagged during a raid on his house. They were then put in a strong-room, where they were discovered 17 hours later.
Judge Patrick McCartan was told that Mr Frank Britton and Ms Mary Britton and their three children, aged from seven to 13, were frozen in terror and thought they were going to be shot.
Mr Paddy McCarthy SC, prosecuting, said cigarettes and cash were taken from the home of Mr Britton, of Ballyhomuck, Cloneen, Co Tipperary, during a raid by a gang of four wearing balaclavas. One was armed with a shotgun.
Before the court was Mr Jeremy Cooper, of Dunne Street Flats, North Strand, Dublin, who pleaded not guilty to robbing Mr Britton of cigarettes worth £40,000 and £9,000 cash, falsely imprisoning the Brittons and stealing a car worth £19,100, property of Mr Britton, between 12.30 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 10th, 1997.
Mr Britton said that shortly after going to bed on Saturday morning he woke to find two figures beside his bed, one of them pointing a shotgun at his head. Most of the family were handcuffed, including his wife and sons, Philip and Adrian. His daughter, Gillian, was bound and gagged as the handcuffs were too big.
Mr Britton and his wife were pulled down the stairs on a quilt and thrown into the strong-room, which measured 8 ft by 4 ft, with their children. The Brittons kicked at a wooden door and a steel door with their bare feet and succeeded in slightly moving the steel door to allow in air. Ms Britton said they were all frozen with terror and she thought they were going to die. The family was rescued by a babysitter who called to the home to bring the children to Mass at 6.45 p.m. on Saturday.
Ms Ann Marie Byrne, of Deansrath Avenue, Clondalkin, Dublin, said four men wearing balaclavas came to her door early on Saturday. One man said they were going to keep cigarettes in the house. She refused. She grabbed her children and ran out of the house. The crates of cigarettes were stacked so high at the door she could hardly get out.
The trial continues.