Courts / Dublin / Report

Man guilty of tiger kidnapping at home of post mistress

Date
2018-12-07
Stage
Sentence
Primary locality
Malahide
County
Dublin

Summary

Paschal Kelly, aged 53, with an address in Cootehill, County Cavan, has been convicted of tiger kidnapping, false imprisonment and robbery at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The offences occurred on 25 September 2014, when a postmistress, her daughter and an Italian student were abducted from their home in Malahide, Dublin. The three were taken from the residence by masked intruders and driven to multiple locations before being brought to Bayside Post Office in Sutton, where cash was stolen. The jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts on all charges following one hour and forty minutes of deliberation. Kelly pleaded not guilty to all charges throughout the trial, which extended to nine weeks. A jury of seven men and five women heard evidence that included witness testimony and DNA analysis. Kelly has been remanded in custody pending sentencing in January 2019. Judge Karen O'Connor directed that victim impact statements be prepared for the three persons injured by the offences.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Man guilty of tiger kidnapping at home of post mistress. Charges or matters: trespass and to false imprisonment of postmistress Susan Lawlor, her daughter Emma Carter and Italian student Gabriella Saisa at Seabury Drive, Malahide, Dublin, on September 25, 2014; robbing Ms Lawlor of cash at Bayside Post Office, Sutton, Dublin, and threatening to kill her, Ms Carter and Ms Saisa at an unknown location in the State. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

Why: "I feared for my life because the Number 1 guy kept saying he was going to shoot me if I'd made the call," Ms Lawlor testified. CNI source report

Case subjects

Paschal Kelly

Defendant

Charges: trespass and to false imprisonment of postmistress Susan Lawlor, her daughter Emma Carter and Italian student Gabriella Saisa at Seabury Drive, Malahide, Dublin, on September 25, 2014; robbing Ms Lawlor of cash at Bayside Post Office, Sutton, Dublin, and threatening to kill her, Ms Carter and Ms Saisa at an unknown location in the State (Alleged Or Contested)

Plea: Not guilty

Outcome: Kelly has been remanded in custody for ahead of sentence in January next year.; Kelly has been remanded in custody for ahead of sentence in January next year.

Places mentioned

Address Area
  • Seabury Drive
Secondary Mention

Topics

Stage Sentence Theft

Related court reports

Read the original CNI report

Correction or retraction request

If a fact, identity, locality or legal outcome needs review, email the newsroom with this report's details prefilled.

Email a correction request