Cavanman found not guilty in relation to Lunney abduction

Cavanman Luke O'Reilly has been found not guilty of the false imprisonment and assault of Quinn Industrial Holdings director Kevin Lunney.

Mr Justice Tony Hunt convicted all three of Mr O'Reilly's co-accused but said a reasonable doubt arises as to whether Mr O'Reilly knew what was to happen to Mr Lunney.

Mr O'Reilly (68) of Mullahoran Lower, Kilcogy, Co Cavan, had pleaded not guilty to falsely imprisoning and intentionally causing serious harm to Mr Lunney at Drumbrade, Ballinagh, Co Cavan on September 17, 2019.

A 40-year-old man who cannot be named, known as YZ, Alan O'Brien (40) of Shelmalier Road, East Wall, Dublin 3, and Darren Redmond (27) of Caledon Road, East Wall, Dublin 3 were each found guilty of the charges of false imprisonment and causing serious harm.

Mr O’Reilly (68), with an address at Mullahoran Lower, Kilcogy, Co Cavan was acquitted by the three-judge, non-jury court.

Mr Lunney told the trial that he was bundled into the boot of a car near his home and driven to a container where he was threatened and told to resign as a director of Quinn Industrial Holdings. His attackers stripped him to his boxer shorts, doused him in bleach, broke his leg with two blows of a wooden bat, beat him on the ground, cut his face and scored the letters QIH into his chest with a Stanley knife. They left him bloodied, beaten and shivering on a country road at Drumcoghill in Co Cavan where he was discovered by a man driving a tractor.

Mr Justice Tony Hunt presided over the trial and is delivering the court's judgement today with Judge David McHugh and Judge Gerard Griffin.

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