Suspended sentence imposed for harassment of Kevin Lunney

The father of a man convicted of assaulting Kevin Lunney has been found guilty of the harassment and intimidation of the director of Mannok, the group of companies formerly owned by Sean Quinn.

Sean McGovern, of Springtown Road, Kinawley, Co Fermanagh pleaded not guilty at Enniskillen Magistrates Court on Monday to charges relating to the harassment and intimidation of four people, including Mr Lunney and his wife Bronagh. He also denied harrassing fellow Mannok executives Liam McCaffrey and Tony Lunney, a brother of Kevin Lunney.

In February 2019, Sean McGovern’s son Bernard was filmed on CCTV attacking Kevin Lunney and another Mannok director, Dara O’Reilly, as the pair ate a meal at an Applegreen Service Station in Co Cavan.

During his trial last year, Bernard McGovern (24), pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three years and three months for the attack on Mr Lunney and five months for the assault on Mr O’Reilly.

The amateur boxer was given credit for the six-and-a-half-months he had already spent in jail before his case came to trial.

On Monday, Sean McGovern, admitted he had erected several posters in and around his local area in an attempt “to highlight my son’s case”.

The 63-year-old was found guilty of the harassment and intimidation of Kevin Lunney and sentenced to four months imprisonment, suspended for three years. He was found not guilty of harassing Bronagh Lunney and the two other company directors.

Judge Stephen Keown also issued a restraining order against McGovern banning him from entering the homes or place of work of Bronagh Lunney, Tony Lunney and Mr McCaffrey.