Ex-Gaelic Athletic Association Footballer on trial for attack on cabbie

An ex GAA player is one of two men on trial for kidnapping and robbing a Dundalk cabbie.

Former Armagh GAA footballer, Robert Tasker, 26, and co-defendant Eugene McCooey, 25,  both from St Patricks Park in Cullhanna have both denied kidnap,  robbery, assault and threatening to kill the unnamed cabbie.

It is alleged that on November 29th 2016,  the pair got into a taxi after leaving a Chinese restaurant in Dundalk and asked to be taken to an address in Cullyhanna.

It is then claimed that somewhere en-route, Mr Tasker produced a knife and held it against the cabbies throat from the back seat. It is alleged that Mr McCooey produced a screwdriver and demanded money.

The driver was then allegedly forced to hand over €120, it is also claimed that the pair continued to threaten the cabbie, which included the threat of raping and murdering him.

The taxi driver escaped after the men fled when another vehicle drove past the parked taxi.

The case is continuing at Newry crown court today.