A former postmistress, Susan Lawlor from Malahide, has initiated legal proceedings against An Post, in the High Court, due to a traumatic tiger kidnapping incident she endured. Serving at the Bayside Post Office in Dublin, Ms Lawlor, her daughter and an Italian student were abducted at gunpoint from her house, held hostage and driven around until the robbers made away with €80,000 from the post office’s safe in 2014.
Richard Kean, Ms Lawlor’s lead counsel, informed the court that when she heard the armed thieves in her house, she complied with An Post’s guidelines by ringing the hostage hotline, designed to trigger a secret response. But he reports that things did not go according to plan when an An Post security officer called her back, causing the robbers to become extremely agitated.
The situation rapidly worsened as the robbers’ violence intensified and Ms Lawlor faced a terrifying threat from one of them: “I am going to shoot you in the f**king head.” Fearing for her life, she suspected that they would be set on fire in the car when an accelerant was doused onto it. In a desperate move, she pulled out some hair and spat onto the car floor, leaving behind her DNA.
Kean stated to the court that this type of kidnapping was too common during that period. He emphasised that despite Lawlor’s faithful adherence to protocol, An Post’s alleged negligence resulted in long-lasting stress and anxiety for her.
He further claimed her life had been thrown in disarray due to the incident. Her daily life remains haunted by the traumatic ordeal that continues to provoke stress and anxiety in her. He added that an expert in their team will attribute Ms. Lawlor’s condition to the horrific kidnapping experience and the escalation of violence due to the phone call from an An Post employee.
In his statement, he reported that Ms Lawlor is set to claim that An Post, initially, did not cover the hotel expenses for her and two other women who were unable to return to their homes due to a criminal investigation.
Additionally, it’s reported that she felt extremely pressured and alleges that she was coerced into returning to work just a few weeks post the incident. Despite these allegations, An Post’s investigative report cleared the company of any misconduct, and it was further noted that the money was reclaimed, resulting in several arrests. However, the report lacked any reference to Ms Lawlor’s call.
In her legal proceedings, the 58-year-old Ms Lawlor asserts that the company disregarded earlier events of tiger kidnapping and failed to comply with the required company guidelines. Those assertions, though, are countered by An Post who deny all charges and insist that the postmistress operated as an independent contractor rather than being an employee.
Ms. Justice Leonie Reynolds, upon hearing that three similar lawsuits against An Post are stemming from the identical incident, has proposed that all four lawsuits should be tried as one. As such, Ms Lawlor’s case has been postponed until that arrangement can be established.