Two men have denied murdering Dublin gangland suspect Robbie Lawlor, a court has heard.
Patrick Teer (48) and Adrian Holland (40) also pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to murder after Lawlor - believed to be involved in organised crime in the Republic - was shot and killed outside a house in the Etna Drive area of Ardoyne almost four years ago.
Belfast Crown Court heard on Friday that a trial centring on Mr Lawlor’s death is expected to last up to eight weeks.
Teer and Holland confirmed their identities to a court clerk and were jointly charged with murdering Mr Lawlor on April 4, 2020.
Holland, from Woodleigh Terrace in Derry, was addressed first and when the murder charge was put to him, he replied “not guilty”.
Teer, whose Belfast address is the subject of a reporting restriction, was then charged and when asked how he pleaded to murder, he replied “not guilty”.
The pair were also charged with, and denied, two further offences - namely conspiring to murder Mr Lawlor on dates between January 1 and April 5, 2020 and possessing a 9mm self-loading pistol with intent on a date between April 2 and 5, 2020.
Both Holland and Teer denied the conspiracy to murder charge and the firearms offence.
After the pair entered ‘not guilty’ pleas to all three charges levelled against them, Mr Justice O’Hara was told that a trial is expected to last up to eight weeks.
The senior Judge said he anticipated the hearing will be held in the autumn and whilst no date for trial was set, he said he would review the case on Friday March 8.
Following the arraignment, both Holland and Teer were released on continuing bail.