THE murdered postal worker, Mr Frank Kerr, never stood a chance when he tried to foil an armed robbery in his Newry sorting office, Belfast Crown Court heard today.
The North's Lord Chief Justice, Sir Brian Hutton, was told that as he "courageously" grappled with one of the six man gang, another shouted: "Shoot him."
Mr Declan McComish (28) and Mr Kevin Patrick Donegan (39), both of Jonesborough, Co Armagh, deny murdering Mr Kerr (54), and robbing Newry post office of £131,000 in cash on November 10th 1994.
Mr Kerr, whose attempt to stop the robbery by the gang, dressed as postmen, has been described as "extremely courageous", died when a single bullet wound to his neck severed a major artery.
Statements from his colleagues, which were read to the court, said the gang surprised them and bound their hands and feet.
One member of staff said he could hear voices coming from the "cash room" where Mr Kerr worked and heard one of the gang shout in a Belfast accent "shoot him".
He then heard two shots and someone beginning to groan. He added that later, when staff managed to free themselves, he found Mr Kerr lying on the floor in a pool of blood.
The prosecution in the case claim they can link both Mr McComish and Mr Donegan to the murder and robbery through a blood stained postman's uniform and other forensic materials found in their car about an hour after the robbery.
The pair claim the uniform must have belonged to a third man, whom they described as a "stranger", who ran from the car and escaped when police arrested them outside the village of Meigh close to the Border.
The trial continues today.