One of four men accused of carrying out a €2.28 million tiger kidnapping has been acquitted by a jury. Alan Costello (50) of Cromcastle Road, Coolock in Dublin has been cleared on five charges, including allegations of falsely imprisoning the family of Securicor worker Paul Richardson.
The five verdicts exonerating Mr. Costello have come on day three of the jury deliberations and on day 45 of the trial.
He was cleared of robbing €2.28 million in cash from Paul Richardson and Securicor Security Services Ireland Ltd. on March 14th in 2005.
He was also found not guilty of falsely imprisoning the family of Mr. Richardson, who is a Securicor driver.
There was evidence he was forced to go to work and deliver a van load of cash to a car park while his wife and two sons were held at gunpoint in the Dublin Mountains.
The jury is still considering the same charges against three other Dublin men.
The foreman has told judge Martin Nolan they do not think they will be able to reach a unanimous decision on the remaining counts.
