Man guilty of tiger kidnapping at home of post mistress

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.