IRA accused sent text to victim's wife's phone minutes before he was shot dead, trial hears

The Special Criminal Court has heard evidence during an ongoing trial concerning the fatal shooting of dissident republican Peter Butterly in March 2013. Laurence Murphy, aged 62, of Bettystown, County Meath, and Ray Kennedy, aged 39, of Blanchardstown, Dublin, have pleaded not guilty to membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the IRA on the date of the killing. Mr Butterly, a 35-year-old father of two, was shot dead in the carpark of the Huntsman Inn at Gormanston, County Meath, on 6 March 2013, shortly after 2pm. Detective Garda evidence indicated that a text message was transmitted from a phone linked to Mr Kennedy to the victim's wife at 1.43pm that day, approximately seventeen minutes before the shooting occurred. The prosecution has characterised the killing as a meticulously planned operation. A protected witness in the Witness Protection Program testified that the shooting was an IRA operation and that he had been asked to dispose of a firearm immediately afterwards. The court also heard garda evidence concerning associations between the accused and prominent republican figures, as well as observations of Mr Kennedy's movements on the day in question. Mr Kennedy faces an additional charge of perverting the course of justice relating to the destruction of a mobile telephone SIM card. Detective Chief Superintendent Anthony Howard, head of the Special Detective Unit, gave evidence of his belief that both men were members of the IRA, though he declined to disclose the material supporting this assessment, citing security concerns and protection of life and property. Four men have already received life sentences following conviction for the murder, while two others received custodial sentences for their roles in the killing. The trial continues before Ms Justice Tara Burns and two other judges at the Special Criminal Court.