Courts / Meath / Report

Man guilty of murdering dissident republican

Summary

Kevin Braney, 44, of Tallaght, Dublin, was found guilty by the Special Criminal Court of the premeditated murder of dissident republican Peter Butterly. The three-judge panel, presided over by Mr Justice Paul Coffey, concluded beyond reasonable doubt that Braney was involved in the organisation and planning of the killing, which occurred outside The Huntsman Inn, Gormanston, Co Meath, in March 2013. Mr Butterly, 35, was chased and shot dead in view of students waiting for a school bus. Braney had pleaded not guilty to the murder charge. The court accepted evidence from State's witness David Cullen, who testified that Braney attended a meeting at Cullen's Balbriggan flat the night before the shooting, where the plan was discussed. Circumstantial evidence further linked Braney to the location and the other perpetrators. The court noted that Edward McGrath, Sharif Kelly, and Dean Evans have already received life sentences for the same murder. In a separate 2018 proceeding, Braney was sentenced to four years after being found guilty of IRA membership by the Special Criminal Court. Following today's verdict, the convicted man was remanded in custody until Friday, when he will be sentenced.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Man guilty of murdering dissident republican. Charges or matters: IRA membership by the Special Criminal Court; murdering Mr Butterly; the unlawful possession of a semi-automatic pistol at the Huntsman Inn on the day of the shooting. Procedural stage: sentence. Findings: Found guilty

When:

• March 6, 2013 Hearing Or Sentence
• October 4 Hearing Or Sentence
• March 7 Hearing Or Sentence
• March 5 Hearing Or Sentence
• August 2, 2017 Hearing Or Sentence
• 2019-02-04 Publication

Why: OPENING: Paul O'Higgins SC, prosecuting, opened the trial on October 4 last year, telling the judges that it was an unusual case because gardai were already keeping an eye on movements in the area that day as a result of certain suspicions. CNI source report

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Sentence Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report