York men facing raid trial

The men are accused of raiding the tobacco warehouse

Three York men have been identified as armed raiders who targeted a tobacco warehouse in Luxembourg by a man who survived three gunshots from a gang.

Judges in Luxembourg have been told the owner of the warehouse was hit three times and another staff member killed.

Keith Birkinshaw, 50, of Foxwood, along with Edward Birkinshaw, 29, of Invicta Court, and Glenn Dawson, 26, of Cranfield Place, Foxwood face charges.

All three men deny being involved in an attack on the premises.

Police pictures

The judges heard the owner of the warehouse survived three gunshots in the November 2000 raid and when the trigger was pulled a fourth time the mechanism jammed.

During the raid on the warehouse a 25-year-old French man was fatally shot in the head.

After emerging from a coma in hospital the warehouse owner named Keith Birkinshaw as one of the attackers.

He later picked Mr Birkinshaw senior out of a police picture line up along with the other two men.

All three men have been in custody in Luxembourg since August 2002.

Edward Birkinshaw and Glenn Dawson were extradited to face the trial and Mr Birkinshaw senior was arrested in France.

The three men are alleged to have been involved in the attack on the warehouse at Esch on 6 November, 2000.

All three men deny having planned and carried out the attack.

The case continues.