Man charged in £26.5m robbery
{{byline|date=November 6, 2005|location=[[w:Belfast|Belfast]]}} An Irish construction worker accused of a record breaking £26.5 million (US$45 million) bank robbery  committed in December 2004 was formally charged in a court in [[w:Belfast|Belfast]] on Friday. Dominic McEvoy was charged with possession of a firearm and false imprisonment in connection with the case.

On December 20, 2004, McEvoy allegedly held an assistant bank manager's family hostage while the manager and a colleague were forced to admit thieves to a branch of the [[w:Northern Bank|Northern Bank]] in Belfast. The thieves then emptied the vault. Police have blamed the robbery on the IRA which has repeatedly denied any connection to the theft. [[w:Sinn Féin|Sinn Féin]], a political party linked with the [[w:Provisional IRA|Provisional IRA]], has protested the arrests, accusing police of targeting IRA sympathizers and supporters in their investigation.

The Northern Bank heist is one of the largest in Europe since the theft of more than US$65 million from a London bank in 1987.

== Related stories ==
*{{Wikinews|title=PSNI confirms Northern Bank notes are from Northern Bank Robbery|date=February 19, 2005}}
*{{Wikinews|title=Millions found by Irish police in raids|date=February 18, 2005}}

== Sources ==
{{Wikipediapar|Northern Bank robbery}}
*{{source|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-5393118,00.html
|title=Lawyer: Client Innocent of Record Heist
|author=Chris Thornton
|pub=Guardian Unlimeted
|date=November 4, 2004}}
<!-- Hint: If you are citing BBC News, leave the author blank and put "BBC News" in the "pub" parameter. -->
*{{source|url=http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,17140973%255E663,00.html
|title=Bank heist charge
|author=
|pub=Herald Sun
|date=November 5, 2005}}
*{{source|url=http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2005-11-04T122059Z_01_YUE444396_RTRUKOC_0_UK-IRISH-ROBBERY.xml
|title=N.Ireland man appears in court over bank heist
|author=
|pub=Reuters
|date=November 4, 2005}}
{{Publish}}

 {{archive}}
[[Category:United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Europe]]
[[Category:Crime and law]]
[[Category:Provisional IRA]]
[[Category:Belfast, Northern Ireland]]
[[Category:Sinn Féin]]
An Irish construction worker accused of a record breaking £26.5 million (US$45 million) bank robbery  committed in December 2004 was formally charged in a court in Belfast on Friday. Dominic McEvoy was charged with possession of a firearm and false imprisonment in connection with the case.

On December 20, 2004, McEvoy allegedly held an assistant bank manager's family hostage while the manager and a colleague were forced to admit thieves to a branch of the Northern Bank in Belfast. The thieves then emptied the vault. Police have blamed the robbery on the IRA which has repeatedly denied any connection to the theft. Sinn Féin, a political party linked with the Provisional IRA, has protested the arrests, accusing police of targeting IRA sympathizers and supporters in their investigation.

The Northern Bank heist is one of the largest in Europe since the theft of more than US$65 million from a London bank in 1987.
United Kingdom Europe Crime and law Provisional IRA Belfast, Northern Ireland Sinn Féin