'Larry the chef' speaks out as case dropped in Northern Ireland

'I knew they had no case because I know I am innocent'

The case against a New York chef who was accused of being involved in a break-in at a top security base in Belfast on St. Patrick’s Day, 2002 hs been dropped.

The Public Prosecution Service Northern Ireland (PPS) dropped its case against Larry Zaitschek, 41, on July 3 saying it was unable to give him a fair trial because the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said last week that new evidence regarding the break-in at Castlereagh Special Branch offices in Belfast could not be released for security reasons.

Although Zaitschek, who has clamed his innocence from day one, said he was “relieved” at the news, he said he was still extremely “angry” that it’s taken seven years for authorities to say he would never be put on trial.

“I’m still very angry that the PSNI had it in for me from the beginning,” said Zaitschek, who was dubbed by the media as Larry the Chef at the time.

“Since day one I’ve known they had no case against me because I’m innocent and they waited seven-and-a-half years to tell me,” he said.

“They said they couldn’t give me a fair trail because they couldn’t disclose new evidence for security reasons. Well in my opinion I’ve never received a fair trial since day one.”

Added Zaitschek, “Over the last number of year, the PPS and PSNI, to cover up their own ineptitude, had attempted to have me hung, drawn and quartered in the court of public opinion, with total disregard for my right to a fair trial, and my right to family life. I will now take immediate steps to take those rights back.”

Describing the decision by the PPS to drop his case as nothing more than “face-saving,” he said, “The PPS now expects the public to swallow its line that new information came to its attention after seven and a half years, which the PSNI conveniently cannot make available,” he said.

Zaitschek, accused of aggravated burglary, assault and imprisonment of a police officer, had been working in the kitchen at Castlereagh since 1998 and finished up working there a month before the break-in.

According to police reports, three men walked in to a highly secure room packed full of sensitive security information at Castlereagh, the PSNI's intelligence hub in Northern Ireland, tied up a police officer and stole dozens of Special Branch files. These files included details of Special Branch officers and their agents' code words. To secure the identity and protect the officers and others, millions of pounds was spent relocating and re-housing them.

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