'Architect' behind violent robbery and extortion of businessman withdrew from plan, appeal told

A man convicted of his role in a violent robbery and extortion of a Mayo businessman has appealed his conviction at the Court of Appeal, contending he had withdrawn from the criminal enterprise before the attack took place. William Twomey, aged 58 and from Warrenpoint, County Down, was found guilty at the Special Criminal Court in November 2021 of robbery, assault, and demanding money with menaces against Edward McAndrew in County Louth in December 2017. Mr McAndrew was subjected to a serious beating with iron bars at a remote location and placed in a vehicle boot. The trial heard that Twomey had initiated contact with the businessman using a false identity to lure him to meet the gang under the pretext of plant machinery being available for sale. At appeal, Twomey's counsel argued the Special Criminal Court had applied an inappropriately high threshold in assessing whether his client had effectively withdrawn from the joint enterprise.