Court archive
Court reports mentioning Dungannon, Tyrone
2019-01-21 · Dublin
Francis Lanigan, 53, is to be extradited to Northern Ireland on murder and firearm charges following the Supreme Court's refusal to hear an appeal against his surrender. The High Court formally lifted the stay on his extradition, clearing the way for his return. Mr. Lanigan is wanted in connection with the alleged 1998 killing of John Knocker in Dungannon, Co Tyrone. He had contested extradition, arguing his life was at risk from paramilitaries. His legal battle spanned multiple High Court judges, the Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court, and the European Court of Justice. He also challenged the constitutionality of the European Arrest Warrant Act and filed two Habeas Corpus applications. In 2015, the High Court ordered his surrender, a decision upheld on appeal. Last year, the Court of Appeal dismissed his application to refer the case to the ECJ. Mr. Lanigan had been on bail pending the Supreme Court's decision. He was arrested in 2013 under a European Arrest Warrant while working as a barber in Dublin, where he had lived under the alias Ciaran McCrory for 15 years. In an affidavit, he stated he joined the INLA around age 19 and was jailed for membership in the 1980s. He claimed he fled south after an attack in 1998 that resulted in Mr. Knocker's death, disputing the authorities' account of the incident.
2018-12-18 · Dublin
An autistic man, Alyn Maginn, 41, pleaded guilty to possessing over €600,000 worth of heroin and cocaine at Dublin Airport on 7 July 2017. He was found in a car park, having arrived from Malaga, Spain, and was arrested after a customs officer searched his vehicle. The drugs, valued at €591,752 for heroin and €16,833 for cocaine, were seized. Maginn had not imported the drugs; they were already in the car. A co‑accused, Martin Gilroy, 34, owned the drugs and received a seven‑year sentence. Judge Martin Nolan, on 23 February 2018, imposed a wholly suspended five‑year sentence on Maginn, citing his autism, borderline cognitive ability and the claim that he was manipulated by Gilroy. The Director of Public Prosecutions is seeking a review, arguing the sentence was unduly lenient, while the Court of Appeal has reserved its judgement. The case remains at the appeal stage.
2018-02-23 · Dublin
An autistic man, Alyn Maginn, 41, was caught with over €600,000 of heroin and cocaine in a car park at Dublin Airport. He pleaded guilty to one count of possession. The drugs were found in a Seat Ibiza after customs profiling. Maginn had not imported the drugs; they had been in the car already. The drugs were owned by a co‑accused, Martin Gilroy, who had previously been jailed for seven years. Maginn had no prior convictions and cooperated with Gardaí. A psychological report showed Maginn had borderline cognitive ability, was on the autism spectrum, and was easily led. Judge Martin Nolan, citing Maginn's psychological make‑up and low moral culpability, imposed a suspended five‑year sentence, stating it would be unjust to jail him for this crime.
2018-02-08 · Dublin
Francis Lanigan, 53, an ex‑paramilitary who lived in west Dublin, was sought by Northern Irish authorities for a 1998 murder in Co Tyrone. He was arrested in 2013 under a European Arrest Warrant while working as a barber, after authorities discovered he had been living under the alias "Ciaran McCrory." Lanigan claims the warrant is not a "forthright account" and questions why his surrender was not requested earlier. He has faced multiple High Court proceedings, a Court of Appeal case, a Supreme Court hearing and a European Court of Justice referral. In January 2024, the Court of Appeal dismissed his latest challenge, with the judge criticizing the delays and the strategy of reopening settled matters. Lanigan maintains that he was targeted by loyalists and that the warrant lacks full evidence, including CCTV footage. The court upheld the High Court's decision to surrender him to Northern Ireland.
2017-11-29 · Dublin
In 2017 a Belfast man, Francis Lanigan, 53, former republican paramilitary, was still fighting extradition to Northern Ireland for a 1998 murder and a firearms offence. He was arrested in 2013 under a European Arrest Warrant while working as a barber in Dublin, using a false name. Lanigan claims he joined the IRA at 17 and the INLA at 19, was imprisoned in 1984, and later became a significant INLA member. He alleges he was targeted by loyalists and that a 1998 incident led to the death of John Knocker. He argues that state collusion and lack of CCTV evidence undermine the warrant. The High Court ordered his surrender in 2015, but multiple High Court, Court of Appeal, Supreme Court, and European Court of Justice proceedings continue, with at least nine judges hearing the case. Lanigan remains on bail and his lawyers appeal ongoing orders. The unnamed man was convicted.
2017-11-23 · Dublin
Martin Gilroy, a 34‑year‑old former engineer from Dungannon, was arrested at Dublin Airport after a car was found containing more than €600,000 worth of heroin and cocaine. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing the drugs for sale or supply. The court, hearing that Gilroy was a recovering drug addict who had worked as an engineer, described him as a "valuable player but not a major player" in the offence. Judge Martin Nolan noted that Gilroy had been "less than candid" about his involvement and that he was unlikely to be the ultimate owner of the drugs, whose profit was intended for other parties. Gilroy was sentenced to seven years in prison, a sentence back‑dated to 21 July. The drugs were seized from a car that had been parked outside Terminal Two, and a co‑accused man was also arrested after leaving the terminal.
2017-05-09 · Tyrone
Donna Magee, 47, of Holyfields, Dungannon, was convicted of stealing €270,597 from O'Mara Geraghty McCourt Solicitors while she worked as a financial controller in 2008‑2009. She pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court and was sentenced to three years' imprisonment, with the final 18 months suspended. The Court of Appeal dismissed her appeal, finding the 18‑month net custodial term "lenient" for a fraud of a quarter‑million euros. The judge noted Magee's prior convictions, including a nine‑month sentence for VAT fraud in 2014 and an earlier fraud conviction in 2002, and the partial recovery of €173,000 through civil proceedings. The appeal was heard six weeks after the sentence was imposed, and the Court of Appeal, led by Justice Alan Mahon, upheld the original sentence. The decision was made in the context of Magee's status as a mother of one and the impact on her 14‑year‑old daughter.
2017-03-31 · Tyrone
A 47‑year‑old financial controller, Donna Magee, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for stealing more than €270,000 from her former employer, O'Mara Geraghty McCourt Solicitors, between late 2007 and June 2009. She transferred the money into her own account over several months, including a €101,000 payment that was meant for a UK client and a €55,000 transfer that was supposed to be a VAT payment to Revenue. The court found she abused her position of trust and, after a guilty plea, imposed a three‑year sentence with the final 18 months suspended. The judge refused her request for a week's leave before incarceration, citing the seriousness of the offence. Magee has prior convictions, including forgery, and has been described by her defence as a vulnerable woman who was pressured by her ex‑husband's gambling debts. The case was brought to court nine years after her employment at the Dublin firm.
2015-09-05 · Dublin
In September 2015 the High Court in Dublin ordered the surrender of Francis Lanigan, 49, to Northern Irish authorities. Lanigan, who had been living in Dublin under the alias Kieran McCrory, was arrested in January 2013 on an extradition warrant for the 1998 murder of John Knocker, who was shot in a hotel car park in Dungannon, County Tyrone. Lanigan had claimed that his life would be at risk from loyalist and republican paramilitaries if handed over to UK authorities. He had previously been denied bail in February 2013 as a flight risk, but secured a fresh bail in December 2013 despite Garda objections. The High Court, after an unsuccessful appeal by Lanigan's lawyers, issued the surrender order, and he was remanded in custody pending transfer to the North. The decision was made by Ms Justice Deirdre Murphy.
2015-02-02 · Dublin
In February 2015, Francis Lanigan, a 49‑year‑old Dublin resident, applied in the High Court to reduce his bail from €20,000 to €5,000. Lanigan, wanted in Northern Ireland for the 1998 murder of John Knocker, had been in custody since January 2013 after an arrest at a Dublin gym where he worked under the assumed name 'Kieran McCrory'. He had previously been denied bail in February 2013 as a flight risk, but was granted bail on 15 December 2014. His counsel, Dr Michael Forde SC, argued that the €20,000 bail was excessive, citing Lanigan's two‑year detention and the lack of a formal application to reduce the amount. The State's counsel, Tony McGillicuddy BL, maintained that the court's bail decision was final and could not be reopened. Lanigan's application was scheduled for review on 9 February 2015.
2014-12-19 · Tyrone
Francis Lanigan, 49, remains in custody despite a High Court bail order. He is wanted in Northern Ireland for the 1998 murder of John Knocker, who was shot in a hotel car park in Dungannon. Lanigan was arrested in January 2013 on an extradition warrant and has been held for almost two years. He argues that extradition would pose a "significant risk to his life." The court noted that Lanigan had worked under the assumed name Kieran McCrory at a Dublin gym for 15 years, a fact discovered through a covert DNA test on a coffee cup. He was deemed a flight risk and refused bail in February 2013, but secured a fresh bail application on Monday.
2014-12-08 · Dublin
Francis Lanigan, 49, is in Dublin custody awaiting extradition to Northern Ireland over the 1998 murder of John Knocker. He claims his two‑year detention is akin to internment, fearing harm from paramilitaries if returned. A High Court judge said bail was unlikely, but will consider a bail application at the next hearing. Lanigan's barrister, Kieran Kelly, argued that circumstances had changed, noting the arrest's second anniversary, his child, and partner's court appearance. Lanigan had previously used the alias Kieran McCrory for 15 years, a fact known to the Gardaí. The judge remanded him in custody until the next Monday, noting the court's inherent jurisdiction to grant bail at any point. The case remains at the extradition stage.
2014-11-17 · Tyrone
A High Court judge in Dublin is awaiting further information before deciding whether to extradite Francis Lanigan, 49, who is wanted in Northern Ireland for the 1998 murder of John Knocker. Lanigan, who lives in Mulhuddart, claims that if he is handed over to UK authorities he would face a "significant risk to his life" from loyalist and republican paramilitaries. He was arrested in January 2013 on an extradition warrant and has been remanded in custody until December 8, with a bail application possible in the meantime. Lanigan's counsel, Dr Michael Forde, argues that a letter from the Northern Ireland Prison Service detailing his proposed detention should be inadmissible because Lanigan had no chance to cross‑examine its author. The judge has deferred judgment until the issuing state provides additional information, which is expected to take two to three weeks.
2014-07-24 · Dublin
In a High Court hearing, Mr Francis Lanigan, aged 49, is awaiting a decision on whether to extradite him to Northern Ireland for the 1998 murder of John Knocker. Lanigan was arrested in Dublin in January 2013 on an extradition warrant and claims that surrendering him would pose a "significant risk to his life." He has been remanded in custody and is represented by Dr Michael Forde SC, who argues that evidence of risk is inadmissible and that the UK's detention plans should be excluded. The court has heard that Lanigan used a false name and has worked as a self‑employed barber. Justice Deirdre Murphy has reserved judgment until September, after which the court will decide whether to extradite Lanigan. The case remains at the extradition stage, with no verdict or sentencing yet.
2014-07-04 · Dublin
In a High Court extradition hearing, Francis Lanigan, 49, contested his transfer to Northern Ireland over a murder case. He was arrested in January 2013 on an extradition warrant linked to the 1998 killing of John Knocker in Dungannon. Lanigan's counsel, Dr Michael Forde SC, argued that Lanigan feared a "significant risk to his life" if surrendered to Northern Irish authorities, citing a letter from the Northern Ireland Prison Service and a retired solicitor's testimony. The counsel also challenged the admissibility of the letter as hearsay, comparing it to newspaper reports that branded Lanigan a "dead man" if returned. The Minister's counsel accepted the letter under European arrest warrant provisions. Dr Forde referenced the Faisal al‑Sadoon case to highlight potential human rights violations. Lanigan had been remanded until July 24, and Justice Deirdre Murphy reserved judgment.
2014-02-21 · Tyrone
Francis Lanigan, 47, of Pinebrook, Mulhuddart, Dublin, is awaiting an extradition hearing in the High Court on 28 April. He was arrested in January on an extradition warrant linked to the 1998 murder of John Knocker, who was shot in a Dungannon hotel car park. Lanigan was taken at a Dublin gym where he worked as a self‑employed barber. He initially gave a false name to the Garda and later claimed he had been using the name Kieran McCrory for protection for 15 years. He remains in custody until the hearing.