Courts / Dublin / Report

Secret IRA recording shouldn't have been attributed to accused, appeal told

Date
2019-07-17

Stage
Appeal

Primary locality
Dublin

County
Dublin

Summary

In a 2019 Court of Appeal hearing, the appeal was made that the voices heard on a covert audio recording of an IRA "inquiry" should not have been attributed to the five men and one woman on trial for assisting the IRA. Kevin Hannaway, one of the "hooded men", was among those jailed for participating in an IRA interrogation of suspected informants at a Dublin house. The gardaí had installed listening devices and used the recordings to arrest and convict the defendants. The appeal argued that the audio was of poor quality and that the prosecution's attempt to attribute voices to the accused was improper, as the evidence was not disclosed to the defence early enough. The hearing continued before the Court of Appeal judges, with counsel for the defendants challenging the reliance on a Chief Superintendent's belief that they were IRA members.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Secret IRA recording shouldn't have been attributed to accused, appeal told. Procedural stage: appeal

When:

August 7th Other
August 8th, 2015 Hearing Or Sentence
2019-07-17 Publication

Case subjects

Unnamed accused

Accused

Outcome: Kevin Hannaway, one of the so-called "hooded men", was one of five jailed last year for participating in an IRA inquiry of suspected informants at a house in Dublin.