Courts / Dublin / Report
Group including "Hooded Man" have "IRA inquiry" convictions upheld
Summary
The Court of Appeal has upheld the convictions of five individuals, including Kevin Hannaway, for their roles in an IRA inquiry conducted in Castleknock, Dublin, in August 2015. The group was originally found guilty at the Special Criminal Court in June 2018 for assisting in the interrogation of suspected informants, a process captured by gardaí listening devices. Kevin Hannaway (71) and Eva Shannon (61), both of Belfast, were sentenced to three years and nine months and four years imprisonment respectively for assisting in the interviews. Seán Hannaway (48) received five years and six months, David Nooney (53) three years and nine months, and Edward O'Brien (42) 16 months, all for membership of an unlawful organisation. Mr Justice John Edwards, delivering the judgment, affirmed that the Special Criminal Court properly handled the admissibility of audio recordings and the opinion evidence of a senior Garda regarding IRA membership. The court rejected challenges to the defendants' arrests and the identification of voices on the recordings. While the convictions were upheld, the report notes that appeals regarding the sentences are scheduled to be heard next week, meaning the sentencing phase of the legal process remains pending.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Group including "Hooded Man" have "IRA inquiry" convictions upheld. Procedural stage: appeal
When:
- June 2018 Incident
- August 7th Hearing Or Sentence
- August 8th, 2015 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2020-02-06 Publication
Why: The prosecution attached significance to this because the so-called 'Green Book' or 'Constitution of the IRA' appeared as an appendix to the book. Prosecution account reported by CNI
Case subjects
Applicant
Outcome: Kevin Hannaway (71) of Colinmill, in Belfast as well as Eva Shannon (61) of Oakman Street, in Belfast were given three years and nine months and four years imprisonment respectively for assisting the interviewing of persons involved in IRA-organised criminal activities at Riverwood Park, Castleknock, Dublin 15 on August 7th and 8th, 2015. During the trial, Hannaway asked to be allowed to leave the courtroom while the recordings from the house in Castleknock were played, as the white noise brought him back to the period of detention in 1971.
Places mentioned
- Special Criminal Court
- Court of Appeal
- Riverwood Park
Topics
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