Man who arranged to meet dissident at murder scene is jailed

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A man has been sentenced to eighteen months imprisonment at the Special Criminal Court for perverting the course of justice during the investigation into a 2013 murder. Ray Kennedy, aged 40, was found guilty of destroying a mobile phone SIM card on the day Peter Butterly was fatally shot in a car park at Gormanston, County Meath. Kennedy had arranged to meet Butterly the previous day and arrived at the scene shortly after the killing. Gardaí had requested he remain for interview, but while waiting, he removed and disposed of the SIM card, which prosecutors described as evidentially significant. Justice Tony Hunt imposed a four-year headline sentence but suspended two and a half years on humanitarian grounds, citing Kennedy's daughter's serious health condition. The judge rejected Kennedy's account that he had panicked, finding instead that his actions were calculated. Kennedy must enter a good behaviour bond of one hundred euros for two and a half years following release.

Source: Courts News Ireland This page is a localnews.ie summary and index entry; the full original report may require a publisher subscription.

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Public source leads

Man found guilty of disrupting investigation of ‘execution-type’ murder of dissident Peter Butterly by destroying Sim card - Irish Independent Irish Independent · Mon, 17 May 2021 07:00:00 GMT
Man guilty of perverting course of justice in murder case - The Irish Times The Irish Times · Mon, 17 May 2021 07:00:00 GMT
Man found guilty of disrupting investigation into murder of dissident republican - BreakingNews.ie BreakingNews.ie · Mon, 17 May 2021 07:00:00 GMT
Man jailed for 18 months for disrupting garda inquiry into Peter Butterly murder - BreakingNews.ie BreakingNews.ie · Mon, 12 Jul 2021 07:00:00 GMT
Two men go on trial charged over 'meticulously-planned killing' of dissident republican Peter Butterly - Irish Independent Irish Independent · Tue, 08 Oct 2019 07:00:00 GMT
Trial opens of two men charged in connection with murder of dissident republican Peter Butterly - Irish Examiner Irish Examiner · Tue, 08 Oct 2019 07:00:00 GMT
Peter Butterly's widow told gardaí that IRA-accused was 'good friend' to them both - Irish Examiner Irish Examiner · Thu, 10 Oct 2019 07:00:00 GMT

Related court reports

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