Securicor worker Paul Richardson has taken the stand to read his victim impact report at the sentence hearing of the four men who were convicted last May for their various roles in a tiger kidnapping of his family 13 years ago.
Mr Richardson told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on Monday that he can still hear the kidnapper’s voice in his head: “If you don’t do this job, I can’t be responsible for your family.”
Mr Richardson said he attended court every day of the trial, even the day of his 60th birthday.
He said he lost a part of his life that night that he would never get back and that the most important thing in life was love and family.
He said it affected him in so many ways and described it as “a horrific and inhumane crime”. He said the trial opened so many wounds.
“At times it was insinuated that I was involved. That was hurtful and distasteful. I would not do this horrific despicable thing to another human being,” Mr Richardson said.
“It still comes to mind. It doesn’t go away,” he said.
“I promised my family I would keep going until justice prevailed,” he said before mentioning that the raiders burnt a blanket from their home that they had used. He said the blanket was of sentimental value.
“My life changed straight away. I was unable to go to work for three years, or even a simple walk to the nearby shop. It still takes a lot out of me to this day. Why would someone do an unspeakable thing to another person?” Mr Richardson asked.
He said it was “etched in (his) mind”, and the thought of being followed and watched eats away at him.
Mr Richardson said he was forced into his uniform at gunpoint on the night of the kidnapping and he now hated wearing the uniform. He said he felt betrayed by his former work colleague.
“Part of me died that night and the following day. The laughs have been replaced by agitation and stress. There are no scars outside but mentally there are. I stopped going to my son’s football matches, life became pessimistic due to the actions of these men,” said Mr Richardson.
He said his family hate to talk about the kidnapping and he hates Halloween. He said if he sees pictures of criminals with guns in the newspapers, he turns the page.
“There was a terrible fear that my wife and sons would be harmed and even killed. When I first saw them I looked to see if they had been hurt, not on the outside but they are hurt on the inside,” he said.
He said he couldn’t conclude his victim impact statement without mentioning his two work colleagues and what they had to endure that day.
“This heinous crime will continue forever,” Mr Richardson said. “You hurt one, you hurt all. We are a family of love and strength. A family that no one could touch, without my family and their resilience I would be completely lost.”
Marie Richardson’s victim impact statement which was read into the record by Seamus Clarke SC, prosecuting, said nothing was more important than her family and that was taken from her.
“We were just ordinary people,” she said. Her mothering instincts took over on the night and she stayed calm for her sons, even though she was fearful, she said.
“The home we made for ourselves and our boys, they destroyed that. I took a stand that we would rebuild our lives. I had to push the family along. It was very hard being strong for everyone. It was hard leaving Paul at home alone. I was not sure what he would do,” said Mrs Richardson.
She said it was “very hard and very raw recalling the events” for five trials and her fear and anxiety returned.
“Now at last justice has prevailed. We will never forget it but we will move on,” she concluded.