Murder trial shown footage of shot being fired which killed Lyra McKee

Lyra McKee (Chiho Tang/Oranga Creative/PA)

Footage from the final moments of Lyra McKee’s life has been shown at the trial of three men accused of murdering the journalist.

Video footage of shots being fired, including the shot which killed Ms McKee, were played during the trial at Belfast Crown Court on Friday.

Ms McKee, 29, died after being struck in the head by a bullet as she stood close to police vehicles while observing rioting in the Creggan area of Derry on the night of April 18, 2019.

The New IRA claimed responsibility for the author’s murder.

Peter Cavanagh, 35, of Mary Street, Derry; Jordan Gareth Devine, 23, of Bishop Street, Derry; and Paul McIntyre, 56, of Kells Walk, Derry, are charged with Ms McKee’s murder.

The three also face a number of other charges, including riotous assembly, possession of a firearm and ammunition with intent, as well as possession of, and throwing of, petrol bombs.

McIntyre is additionally charged with membership of a proscribed organisation.

Violence had flared in Derry on the evening Ms McKee was killed after police entered the Creggan area to conduct searches.

Jordan Devine arrives at Laganside Court, Belfast, where he and two other men have been charged with the murder of Belfast journalist Lyra McKee (Liam McBurney/PA)

The no-jury trial was shown video footage from a PSNI evidence-gathering vehicle on the night Ms McKee was killed in Fanad Drive after police had been attacked with petrol bombs.

The footage showed Ms McKee observing the disorder.

Prosecuting barrister David McDowell KC told the court that the footage showed four shots being fired.

He then said screaming was heard from the other side of the street, indicating that Ms McKee had been shot.

Ms McKee was removed from the scene in a PSNI Land Rover but died of her injuries.