A former British army soldier went on trial in Belfast yesterday accused of being involved in Northern Ireland's biggest ever armed robbery 17 months ago. Not a penny of the £1.1 million Securicor driver Mr Keith Kenneth Winward (36) is accused of helping to steal on April 13th last year has been recovered.
Prosecutor Mr John Creaney QC told Belfast Crown Court that to cover his involvement Mr Winward "contrived" with others for his family to be held captive in their Finch Way home in the Protestant Taughmonagh estate, south Belfast.
He said Mr Windward, originally from Middlesborough, who had served with the Green Howards, later offered to go undercover to help catch the robbers, but only if he was freed.
Mr Winward denies the armed theft of £1,O71,957, which was destined for Belfast's post office headquarters in Toombe Street, and of kidnapping his colleague, Mr Keith Dixon.
Mr Justice Girvan heard that although Mr Winward had just returned to Securicor three weeks before the raid, after six months' sick leave, he knew which "run" he would be taking that day.
Mr Creaney said this was "Route 15 - or the Bookies Run", as it was known, which initially involved taking a mountain of cash to the Post Office.
Mr Winward said afterwards that three masked and armed men, claiming to be from the IRA, had taken over his home, held his family hostage and ordered him to take his Securicor van to derelict buildings at Fort Road, on the outskirts of Belfast.
But Mr Creaney claimed that "this man's account of the events does not bear examination". He said when suspicions about Mr Winward surfaced, "it was all too clear that this man had been lying and lying from the very word go".
The masked men who took over Mr Winward's home had "not burst in" but had walked in the front door, which Mr Winward had left open for them.
When Mr Winward arrived for work he was told he was to drive one van but he asked for another vehicle, quoting its registration number.
At no time did Mr Winward attempt to raise the alarm, nor did he tell his fellow-driver, Mr Dixon, until they had driven to Fort Road where the cash was handed over.
Mr Creaney also said Mr Winward never consulted a map during their six-mile journey.
Mr Winward refused to co-operate with detectives, telling them "he simply would not do so", said Mr Creaney.
But, he said, five days after the robbery Mr Winward told one detective sergeant that he could help him but because the sergeant could not guarantee he "wouldn't be thrown to the wolves", he would only do so if released.
The trial, which is expected to last at least a week, continues today.