Three men not guilty of murder of Lyra McKee
Judge Mrs Justice Smyth has delivered her judgment in the non-jury trial at Belfast Crown Court today
Last updated 12 hours ago
Three men have been found not guilty of the murder of journalist Lyra McKee in Londonderry in 2019.
Paul McIntyre, 58, of Kells Walk in Derry, Peter Cavanagh, 38, of Mary Street, and Jordan Gareth Devine, 25, of Bishop Street, faced a joint enterprise murder charge.
The 29-year-old died after being hit by a bullet as she stood close to police vehicles while observing disturbances in the Creggan area of Derry on April 18 2019.
Several petrol bombs had been directed at police and a car was set on fire during chaotic scenes which culminated in four shots being fired towards officers.
The New IRA claimed responsibility for the death of Ms McKee.
The prosecution’s case was that the three men had accompanied a lone gunman on the night Ms McKee was killed and encouraged or assisted him.
But defence barristers have criticised the standard of the evidence in the case, which was almost entirely circumstantial.
In the public gallery today (Friday) at Belfast’s Crown Court, friends and relatives of the accused sat on one side, while friends and relatives of Ms McKee sat on the other.
Members of Ms McKee’s family left the court after the non-guilty verdicts on the three murder charges were delivered.
Finishing her lengthy judgment following the trial of three men for the joint enterprise murder of journalist Lyra McKee, Mrs Justice Smyth said: “Lyra McKee’s murder was an act of senseless violence.
“The gunman has never been brought to the court and the evidence against those accused of assisting or encouraging has fallen short of that required for conviction.
“I wish to acknowledge the family and friends of Lyra McKee who have endured a protracted trial which has brought them little if any comfort or relief, and I regret that.”
The family of Lyra McKee have said “no stone will be left unturned” to get justice after three men were found not guilty of her murder.
Speaking outside Belfast Crown Court, Nichola Corner said: “Today has come as a complete and utter shock to us as a family.”
She added: “The system has completely failed Lyra and has failed our family, and has failed Northern Ireland, to be perfectly honest.”
Ms Corner said: “I’ll tell you what will not happen, that we will not go down with this.
“This is not over. Lyra said, ‘if you’re going to go down, go down fighting’, and I can tell you right now that every one of my family will, because we do this for Lyra.
“She deserves justice.”
She added: “This started seven years, two months and two weeks ago, when people came out onto a street with a lethal weapon and fired at police, knowing that there were innocent people watching, knowing that there were innocent people outside homes, knowing that there were innocent people who could potentially be put into danger, that was when this began for us.
“We have been having to carry that strength for a very long time, and our strength comes from the strength of heart, which our mother had and shared with us all.
“That strength comes from our love for Lyra and our desire to ensure that she gets justice, and that no stone is left unturned to ensure that that happens, and I assure you that every stone will be checked.”
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