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Family tell of heist hostage trauma


Published on Monday 15 September 2008 16:46

The evidence of the family of 26-year-old Christopher Ward - the only man charged in connection with the £26.5 million Northern Bank robbery - was heard at Belfast Crown Court today.

Mr Justice McLaughlin heard statements by Ward's mother Rose and his brother Gerard.

The bank's Donegall Square headquarters was targeted in the robbery on December 20, 2004.

Ward was an employee when the heist happened.

Rose and Gerard Ward had told police they were made to stay in their west Belfast home for 24 hours after three men, dressed in dark clothes and carrying baseball bats, and told Chris to bring a bag before he left with one of the men.

The family were told that Chris was "doing a job for us tomorrow and if it goes smoothly, you will be okay."

During their 24 hours held in the house, Ward's mother and brother said they were watched at all times by both men. Gerard told police that while the men said they were armed, he didn't see any weapons.

The Ward family were forced to hand over all mobile and house phones and ordered to stay away from the windows and co-operate as Chris's life was at stake.

Chris Ward returned home at around 8.45pm on December 20 with his boss Kevin McMullan.

Gerard said that as the men left the house at around 10.15pm, they told Chris not to contact the PSNI until 11pm - and thanked the Ward family for their "co-operation" and apologised for their "inconvenience".

Ward is denying the charges of robbing the bank and the false imprisonment of Kevin McMullan.


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