Judges will allow CCTV and mobile phone evidence

Special Criminal Court

The Special Criminal Court will admit mobile phone and CCTV evidence gathered by gardaí investigating the abduction and assault on businessman Kevin Lunney.

The three-judge court ruled today (Thursday) that the evidence was lawfully gathered by gardaí investigating offences that are "at the very top of any definition of serious crime".

The court rejected arguments made by lawyers for the four men accused of the abduction and assault that the use of mobile phone evidence amounted to mass surveillance and that gardaí were using private CCTV systems to operate a "de facto surveillance system".

A 40-year-old man known as YZ; Alan O’Brien (40), of Shelmalier Road, East Wall, Dublin 3; Darren Redmond (27), from Caledon Road, East Wall, Dublin 3; and Luke O’Reilly (67), with an address at Mullahoran Lower, Kilcogy, Co Cavan, have all pleaded not guilty to false imprisonment and intentionally causing serious harm to Mr Lunney at Drumbrade, Ballinagh, Co Cavan, on September 17, 2019.

Mr Lunney has told the court that he was bundled into the boot of a car near his home in County Fermanagh and driven to a container where he was threatened, beaten and told to resign as a director of Quinn Industrial Holdings (QIH).

His abductors stripped him to his boxer shorts, doused him in bleach, broke his leg, cut his face and scored the letters QIH into his chest. They left him bloodied, beaten and shivering on a country road at Drumcoghill in Crossdoney where he was discovered by a man driving a tractor.

The trial continues in front of Mr Justice Tony Hunt, presiding, Judge Gerard Griffin and Judge David McHugh.

* More to follow