IRA accused seen meeting Butterly murderer, trial hears

The Special Criminal Court heard evidence in October 2019 that an accused man was observed meeting individuals already convicted of involvement in the fatal shooting of dissident republican Peter Butterly. Surveillance officers testified that on March 7, 2013, one day after the killing, Laurence Murphy, aged 62, of Bettystown, County Meath, was seen at a fast-food outlet in Charlestown Shopping Centre in County Mayo alongside Kevin Braney and Frank Murphy. Braney had previously received a life sentence following conviction for the premeditated murder of Butterly, who was shot dead outside the Huntsman Inn in Gormanston, County Meath, on March 6, 2013. The 35-year-old victim was a father of two. The prosecution presented evidence suggesting the group convened to discuss the previous day's events. Detective garda testimony also indicated that a text message was sent from a phone linked to one of the accused to Butterly's wife approximately seventeen minutes before the shooting occurred. Covert audio recordings made by gardaí from a listening device placed in the fast-food restaurant formed part of the prosecution case. Murphy and Ray Kennedy, aged 40, of Blanchardstown, Dublin, have both pleaded not guilty to membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the IRA on the date of the killing. Kennedy faces an additional charge of perverting the course of justice through destruction of a mobile telephone SIM card. Detective Chief Superintendent Anthony Howard, head of the Special Detective Unit, gave evidence of his assessment that both men were members of the organisation, though he declined to disclose the basis for his belief, citing security concerns. Four men had previously been convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in connection with Butterly's death. The trial continued into November 2019.