TWO Cork men and an Englishman were jailed yesterday for their roles in what Judge Cyril Kelly called "a ferocious and scandalous" attack on an RTE film crew at the funeral of Michael Crinnion, who had been shot dead some days earlier.
RTE cameraman Mr Tony Cournane, who sustained a serious compound fracture of his leg, still suffered pain from his injury almost one year later and would possibly have to continue using crutches for another 18 months, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court was told.
Kenneth Crinnion, a brother of the murdered man, was imprisoned for three years and nine months and Andrew Jeffrey was jailed for 21/2 years. The third man, Billy McCarthy, was jailed for seven months.
Crinnion (23) of Ardcullen Holyhill, and Jeffrey (30) of Junction Road, London, both admitted maliciously wounding Mr Cournane on or near Togher Road, Cork, on April 12th, 1995.
McCarthy (31), also of Ardcullen, pleaded guilty to assaulting Mr Cournane and sound recordist Mr Brian O'Mahony on the same occasion.
Judge Kelly said Crinnion had shown little remorse for his action. Jeffrey had been unwise to have allowed himself to become involved in the way he did. He had apologised in court to Mr Cournane and his wife. McCarthy seemed genuinely remorseful and had played a lesser role.
Defence counsel had posed the question of the sensitivity or otherwise shown by RTE. He would neither condemn nor praise RTE, said Judge Kelly.
He added that the RTE crew was some 80 metres from the church. This gave the defendants sufficient time to "cool off" but they had not done so.
Garda Supt Michael Bambury told Mr P.J. McCarthy (with Mr Anthony Kennedy SC), prosecuting, that the defendants were among the mourners. The camera crew was spotted and was assaulted by a group of mourners. A fourth accused, Donal O'Flynn, was earlier jailed for 26 months after he admitted his role in the incident.
In reply to defence counsel, Supt Bambury said he was unaware if RTE had sought permission from the Crinnion family to film the funeral. He did not know either if the Garda had been told of RTE's plans.
Supt Bambury agreed with Mr Tom Creed (with Mr Seamus Sorahan SC), defending, that McCarthy was genuinely remorseful for what happened to Mr Cournane. He had asked the witness to convey his sorrow to the Cournane family.
Jeffrey, in evidence, told his counsel, Mr Blaise O'Carroll SC (with Mr Brendan Grehan) that he had been living with the deceased's sister in law, Ms Kathleen O'Flynn, in London.
Ms O'Flynn's sister, Collette, who was Mr Michael Crinnion's wife, was staying with them in London at the time. They returned to Ireland immediately and he had never experienced anything like the tension in Cork. Nobody slept before the funeral and the incident just erupted.
Jeffrey added that his relationship with Ms O'Flynn had now ended as a result of the case. He apologised to Mr and Mrs Cournane for what happened.
The dead man's mother, Mrs Kathleen Crinnion, told Mr Barry White SC (with Mr David Goldberg), for Kenneth Crinnion, that her heart was broken over the murder. "My heart is cracked. I'll never be the same woman again."
Mrs Crinnion said the "adverse media comments and allegations" after the shooting were most unfair to her son and their family. RTE did not "have the courtesy" to inquire before filming the funeral. Her son should have been allowed to be buried with privacy and dignity.
Mr White said his client's action was prompted by a desire to have his brother buried with dignity. He was emotionally vulnerable at the time and his action was not premeditated. RTE had shown no sensitivity at the funeral.