An alleged ‘tiger’ kidnapper was seen buying a litre of milk at a petrol station in the early hours of the morning of the alleged offence, a jury has been told.

Jonathan Gill (aged 35) is accused of a kidnapping a Drogheda postal worker, his partner and their 10-week-old baby daughter before robbing over €600,000 from the man’s workplace.

It is the State’s case that Mr Gill was one of a group of five who were involved in holding the family hostage in their own home before moving them to a shed about a 90-minute drive away.

Mr Gill of Malahide Road, Swords, Dublin, has pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to falsely imprisoning Warren Nawn, Jean Marie Nawn and their10-week-old baby in Drogheda between August 1 and August 2, 2011.

The trial has previously heard that the couple’s baby started crying as they were being taken to the shed in Swords where they were held overnight. Ms Nawn said the child was hungry and the raiders stopped to buy him a litre of milk.

It is the State’s case that gardaí later recovered the empty container from a partially burnt out vehicle after the kidnapping ended.

They say they also recovered other items from the shed where the family were held including some cigarette butts.

Today a detective gave evidence that in the aftermath of the kidnapping he canvassed 24 hours shops in search of one that sold a litre of milk in the early hours of August 1, 2011.

Staff at the Topaz Garage in Balgriffin told him they had sold a litre of milk during that time. The detective told Vincent Heneghan SC, prosecuting, that he then pulled up the CCTV from the garage.

He said he saw a male on the footage buying milk at 5.14am who he identified as the accused, Jonathan Gill.

The trial continues before Judge Elma Sheahan and a jury of seven men and five women.