Kevin Lunney case: Accused asked gardaí to leave his family alone

Followed the death of one of his sons and another family member being repeatedly stopped on the street

Kevin Lunney has told the court 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. File picture.

One of the men accused of abducting and assaulting Quinn Industrial Holdings director Kevin Lunney asked gardaí to leave his family alone after one of his sons died and another family member was repeatedly stopped on the street.

The man, known as YZ because he cannot be named for legal reasons, came to Store Street Garda Station in Dublin on May 6, 2019. 

Sergeant Fergal McDonagh told the Special Criminal Court that he agreed to mediate between YZ and gardaí in the area. 

Having spoken to gardaí, Sgt McDonagh phoned YZ and told him that gardaí would continue to do their job but would not "harass" his family. 

YZ thanked Sgt McDonagh, the court heard.

Seán Guerin, who is prosecuting YZ and three other men, called Sgt McDonagh as part of the prosecution's attempts to link the accused men to phone numbers allegedly used during the abduction and assault on Mr Lunney.

Sgt McDonagh told Mr Guerin that YZ gave him a phone number, ending in '717', that the prosecution alleges was regularly in contact with Cyril McGuinness, now deceased, around the time of the abduction and assault. 

The prosecution alleges that McGuinness instructed the four accused by phone.

Sgt McDonagh said he phoned the 717 number and was satisfied that the person he spoke to was YZ.

The 40-year-old man known as YZ; Alan O’Brien, aged 40, of Shelmalier Rd, East Wall, Dublin 3; Darren Redmond, aged 27, from Caledon Rd, East Wall, Dublin 3; and Luke O’Reilly, aged 67, with an address at Mullahoran Lower, Kilcogy, Co Cavan, have all pleaded not guilty to false imprisonment and intentionally causing serious harm to Mr Lunney at Drumbrade, Ballinagh, Co Cavan, on September 17, 2019.

Mr Lunney has told the court 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 abductors cut him with a Stanley knife, 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. 

They left him bloodied, beaten, and shivering on a country road at Drumcoghill, Co Cavan, where he was discovered by a man driving a tractor.

The court also viewed CCTV footage of various vehicles on the M1 and M3 motorways, and in Dublin and Cavan on dates in September 2019. 

The prosecution alleges that Mr Lunney's attackers used a silver Renault Kangoo, a Citroen Berlingo Van with red lightning bolts on the sides, a black Audi A4, and a BMW to plan and carry out the offences.

The trial continues.