Lunney trial set to start

The trial of four men accused of abducting and assaulting local businessman Kevin Lunney will begin at the Special Criminal Court today (Monday), May 31.

After almost five months of delays due to Covid restrictions, having originally been fixed for trial on January 11 at the non-jury court, Luke O’Reilly (67) from Mullahoran Lower, Kilcogy, Co Cavan; Darren Redmond (26) from Caledon Road, East Wall, Dublin; and Alan O’Brien (40) of Shelmalier Road, also East Wall, will all come before the court.

They are each charged with false imprisonment and assault causing serious harm at Drumbrade, Ballinagh, Co Cavan, on September 17, 2019.

A fourth male, named ‘YZ’, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is also charged with the same offences at the same date and location.

Father-of-six Mr Lunney (51) suffered a broken leg, was doused in bleach, and the letters ‘QIH’ carved into his chest. After the near the two-and-a-half hour ordeal, the director at Mannok, formerly Quinn Industrial Holdings, was dumped on a rural roadside near Cornafean.

The trial is expected to take 12 weeks but will break after nine weeks at the end of July for the court's summer break and resume in September.