Ireland

Wife of murdered dissident tells how killers 'shattered our lives forever'

Peter Butterly was shot dead in March 2013
Peter Butterly was shot dead in March 2013 Peter Butterly was shot dead in March 2013

THE wife of murdered dissident republican Peter Butterly has told two men convicted of his killing that they have "shattered our lives forever".

A victim impact statement was read to Dublin's Special Criminal Court as Edward McGrath and Sharif Kelly were jailed for life yesterday.

Mr Butterly (35) was shot dead in March 2013 outside The Huntsman Inn at Gormanston in Co Meath, off the Dublin-Belfast road, in what a judge described as "premeditated slaughter".

Last month, after a 31-day trial, Dubliners McGrath (35), of Land Dale Lawns, Springfield, Tallaght and Kelly (47), of Pinewood Green Road, Balbriggan, were both found guilty of murder.

McGrath was also convicted of firearms offences.

Four men were originally charged.

One, David Cullen, subsequently turned state witness, implicating his former co-accused, and his murder charge was dropped.

In July 2014 he pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm on the day of the murder and was sentenced to seven years in prison, with three and a half years suspended.

The suspected gunman, Dean Evans (24) of Grange Park Rise, Raheny, Dublin, failed to turn up for trial and has not been found by gardaí.

The court heard yesterday how Mr Butterly had arrived at the Huntsman Inn's car park at 1.55pm for a pre-arranged meeting and was waiting for about 10 minutes when a Toyota Corolla bearing false registration plates drove in.

A gunman fired two shots at the victim's car. One struck the bonnet while the other hit the windscreen.

Mr Butterly ran from his car, pursued by the gunman who fired a number more shots, killing him.

McGrath's role, the court heard, was driving the stolen Corolla to and from the scene.

His car was rammed nearby by a member of the Garda National Surveillance Unit.

The court heard that when the men climbed from the car the gunman was holding two cigarette lighters, one in each hand, and there were firelighters strewn over the seats.

Kelly was arrested shortly after McGrath in another car.

His role was to drop Cullen off outside Gormanston College, where he was to dispose of the gun, and to drive McGrath and the gunman away.

The court was told that both Kelly and McGrath have no previous convictions.

Mr Justice Tony Hunt said a "surprising aspect" of the case was that two men who had been "making positive contributions in other areas of life became involved in the premeditated slaughter of somebody else".

In Eithne Butterly's victim impact statement, she told how her husband had "absolutely adored" their three children.

"He got great pleasure from teaching them how to tie their shoelaces and playing football," she said.

She also described the day she had to tell her son that his father had been killed. His scream, she said, is a sound she will never forget.

Addressing McGrath and Kelly, she told them: "Your cowardly decision and action has shattered our lives forever."