Courts / Dublin / Report

Not guilty verdict sought in Peter Butterly murder trial after disclosure of previously redacted statement

Date
2015-01-22

Stage
Trial

Primary locality
Balbriggan

County
Dublin

Summary

The Special Criminal Court has been asked to direct a finding of not guilty for three men charged with murdering Peter Butterly after privileged information was disclosed in the trial. The men—Dean Evans (24), Edward McGrath (33) and Sharif Kelly (44)—were charged with the murder of the 35‑year‑old father of two, who was shot dead in the car park of the Huntsman Inn, Gormanston, on 6 March 2013. Evans and McGrath also pleaded not guilty to firearm offences. A fourth man, David Cullen (30), who had previously testified against the trio, was already serving a three‑and‑half‑year sentence for lesser offences. The court had ruled that Evans and McGrath were lawfully before the court, but the defence amended their application after a previously redacted portion of Cullen's statement was disclosed. The statement, made to Gardaí in July, indicated that Cullen had distanced himself from McGrath and had never really liked him.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Not guilty verdict sought in Peter Butterly murder trial after disclosure of previously redacted statement. Charges or matters: murdering the 35-year-old father of two; firearm offences on the same occasion. Procedural stage: trial

When:

March 6, 2013 Hearing Or Sentence
2015-01-22 Publication

Why: The information came to light, the court heard, because Mr McGrath's barrister, Bernard Condon SC, was briefed in another case in which the document was disclosed without redactions. Court evidence reported by CNI