Ireland

Kevin Lunney abduction trial moved to February due to rise in covid numbers

QIH director Kevin Lunney. Picture by Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker 
QIH director Kevin Lunney. Picture by Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker  QIH director Kevin Lunney. Picture by Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker 

THE trial of four men accused of abducting and assaulting Quinn Industrial Holdings executive Kevin Lunney has been delayed after a judge said it would be "undesirable and imprudent" to proceed due to rising cases of coronavirus.

Mr Justice Tony Hunt made his remarks at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin yesterday, adding he hoped the trial could proceed on February 1.

The case, which was in for mention yesterday on disclosure matters, had been fixed for trial on January 11 at the non-jury court.

Luke O'Reilly (66), from Mullahoran Lower, Kilcogy, Co Cavan; Darren Redmond (25), from Caledon Road, East Wall, Dublin; and Alan O'Brien (38) of Shelmalier Road, East Wall, Dublin, are all charged with false imprisonment and assault causing serious harm to Mr Lunney (50) at Drumbrade, Ballinagh, Co Cavan on September 17, 2019.

Another man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is also charged with the same offences at the same date and location.

Mr Lunney, a father-of-five, had his leg broken, was doused in bleach and had the letters QIH (Quinn Industrial Holdings) carved into his chest before he was dumped on a roadside.

The court had previously been told that there are over 50,000 documents involved in the case that needed to be digitally rendered and that there had been issues with disclosure.

In December, the three-judge court dismissed a bid to halt the trial over a ruling expected from the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) on data retention.