Men jailed over £150K kidnapping

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/7132815.stm

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Two Belfast men have been jailed for a total of 16 years for their part in a "highly organised and sophisticated" £150,000 kidnapping plot.

Steven Meli, 26, of Locksley Lane in Finaghy, was jailed for 10 years and Gavin McLarnon, 29, of Laurelbank in Poleglass, received a six-year term.

The judge said the robbery of the city centre Boots store in May 2005 "took meticulous preparation".

The families of two staff members were held hostage during the raid.

An earlier court hearing heard that a gang of men called to the respective homes of the two Belfast families claiming to be from the "republican movement".

The families were threatened with a gun and held hostage.

Takings

A prosecution lawyer said that in both cases, a member of each family worked part-time for Boots chemist on Royal Avenue.

They were forced to go to their work on the morning of the 18 May and one of the pair took £154,000 from the safe and handed it over to Meli.

Meli was arrested months later and although he denied being part of the gang, when DNA evidence was put to him, he admitted taking part in the robbery.

He later pleaded guilty to robbery, kidnapping, attempted kidnapping and six counts of false imprisonment.

McLarnon had denied all the offences and had taken the case to trial but after three days of evidence, he pleaded guilty to robbery on the basis that he had supplied dust masks the gang had worn as disguises.

He was acquitted of all other charges.