Man who disrupted dissident murder investigation should not be jailed, defence say

Ray Kennedy, aged 41, from Blanchardstown in Dublin, was convicted by the Special Criminal Court of perverting the course of justice following his destruction of a mobile phone SIM card on 6 March 2013. The card was considered evidentially significant to the Garda investigation into the murder of dissident republican Peter Butterly at Gormanston in County Meath. Kennedy had arranged to meet Butterly the day before the killing and arrived at the scene shortly after the shooting. While gardaí requested he remain for interview, he removed and disposed of the SIM card. The court heard that Kennedy's phone had been in contact with a burner phone connected to the murder. The presiding judge rejected Kennedy's account that he had panicked, finding instead that his actions were calculated and intended to obstruct the investigation. At sentencing proceedings in June 2021, Kennedy's defence counsel argued against a custodial sentence, citing the serious health condition of his young daughter, who requires round-the-clock care, and his previously unblemished background. The prosecution maintained that Kennedy's actions demonstrated a deliberate attempt to conceal his involvement in the incident. Justice Tony Hunt indicated that imprisonment remained under consideration while granting bail pending sentence due to Kennedy's family circumstances. Sentencing was adjourned to 12 July 2021. Four men have previously received life sentences for Butterly's murder, with two others also convicted and imprisoned for their roles in the killing. The case formed part of the State's response to dissident republican activity during the period.