Four sent for trial to Special Criminal Court in Lunney kidnap case

Four men are to face trial at the Special Criminal Court in connection with the false imprisonment and assault of Quinn Industrial Holdings director Kevin Lunney last year.

At Cavan District Court on Thursday morning, Judge Denis McLoughlin sent the men forward for trial at the non-jury Special Criminal Court.

Luke O’Reilly (66), from Mullahoran Lower, Kilcogy, Co Cavan, Darren Redmond (25), from Caledon Road, East Wall, Dublin and Alan O’Brien (39), of Shelmalier Road, East Wall, were remanded in custody.

A fourth defendant, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was also remanded in custody.

All four men, who were arrested in November, are charged with the false imprisonment of Kevin Lunney at Drumbrade, Ballinagh, Co Cavan on September 17th last year.

A charge of causing harm under Section 3 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, which carries a maximum five-year prison term on conviction, was withdrawn by the State.

It was replaced by a charge of causing serious harm under Section 4 of the same Act, which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment upon conviction.

Det Garda Alan Jones and Det Garda David Kerrigan gave evidence of charging the four men in Cavan.

The State solicitor for Cavan, Rory Hayden, applied to have the four men remanded in custody and sent forward for trial to the Special Criminal Court. All four men were granted free legal aid and remanded in custody.