Reward is offered as police hunt gang

Reward is offered as police hunt gang

30 November 2011 - by JOANNE FLEMING

A £25,000 award is being offered for information on the recent kidnapping of a Crossgar couple.

The reward is being offered by security solutions company G4S — which employs the man who was kidnapped with his wife on Halloween night.

It comes as police are reissuing an appeal for information on the attack and releasing images of the house and car used in the crime in the hope it jogs the memories of passers-by.

Armed and masked men entered the victims’ house on Crossgar’s Drumaghlis Road after 7.30pm on October 31 and kept the couple captive in separate properties overnight.

The man was driven away in his black Mini One, while his wife was taken in a different vehicle to a derelict property in Myrtlefield Park, south Belfast, where she was kept in a cupboard.

In the early hours of this morning the man was driven in his car to the Mayfield area of Glengormley, and told to drive to his place of work and take an amount of money to Boucher Place in Belfast. At 7.30am he went to Boucher Place where he was met by another member of the gang driving a silver Honda Civic car. But before any money was handed over the Honda Civic drove off.

At 9am his wife freed herself and raised the alarm. Although traumatised by the incident 

the couple were not seriously hurt.

The £25,000 award appeal is being issued by G4S through Crimestoppers for information that leads to the arrest of and conviction of those involved.

Chairman of the Crimestoppers Committee for Northern Ireland, Paul Leighton, appealed for anyone who could help solve the crime to come forward.

“This was an incredibly horrific experience for the couple involved and the individuals who committed this crime should be punished for their actions,” he said.

“It leaves a bitter taste in my mouth that nobody has been brought to justice for this heinous offence, and for that reason I would urge members of the public to come forward with information and pass it onto Crimestoppers anonymously by calling 0800 555 111 or through our secure online form at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.”

Detectives from the Serious Crime Branch are particularly keen to hear from anyone who can help with information about activity at locations including the Drumaghlis Road in Crossgar on Monday, October 31, particularly between 7pm and 9pm, and Myrtlefield Park in south Belfast between Monday evening and through to 9am on Tuesday morning.

As well contacting Crimestoppers, anyone with information can contact detectives at the special incident room in Belfast on 028 9056 1812.