Tiger kidnapper gets 18 years

A man from Cootehill, County Cavan, has been sentenced to eighteen years imprisonment following his conviction on multiple charges related to a tiger kidnapping at a post office in north Dublin. Paschal Kelly, aged fifty-three, was convicted of false imprisonment, robbery, threatening to kill, and possession of a stolen vehicle. The offences occurred on 25 September 2014, when Kelly and two accomplices entered the home of a postmistress in Malahide, bound three women with cable ties, and transported them to Bayside Post Office in Sutton. During the incident, Kelly threatened to set the women alight. At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Karen O'Connor commended the three women for their courage and resourcefulness, noting that one victim's quick thinking enabled gardaí to intervene and recover approximately €92,000. The judge found the offence premeditated and aggravated by the violation of the home, use of firearms, and threats made. Kelly's conviction followed a nine-week trial. Credit for time already served in custody has been applied to the sentence.