Brian Nick McBennett acquitted of IRA membership

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Brian Nick McBennett was acquitted of IRA membership by the Special Criminal Court, reported on 30 June 2015.

The acquittal followed the DPP’s decision to offer no further evidence after the court ruled that six arrests had been unlawful. McBennett had denied membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the IRA on 3 July 2013.

The court said the arrests fell short of the objective justification required for arrests on suspicion of IRA membership. McBennett was one of seven men acquitted in the proceedings.