Courts / Dublin / Report
Media remain gagged from naming criminal who inflicted serious injuries on Kevin Lunney
Summary
The High Court has extended an anonymity order protecting the identity of a man convicted of inflicting serious injuries on businessman Kevin Lunney during a kidnapping in County Cavan in September 2019. Mr Justice Charles Meenan granted a temporary extension of the order until mid-January, allowing the man's legal representatives to pursue judicial review proceedings against the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Special Criminal Court. The man's lawyers argued that publishing his name ahead of separate pending criminal trials could prejudice his right to a fair trial before a jury. The Director of Public Prosecutions opposed the extension, contending that media publication of convicted persons' names is a fundamental constitutional right except in limited circumstances. Mr Justice Meenan acknowledged this principle but found an arguable case for fair trial concerns. The man was convicted by the Special Criminal Court earlier this year alongside two others of false imprisonment and intentionally causing harm to Mr Lunney at Drumbrade, Ballinagh.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Media remain gagged from naming criminal who inflicted serious injuries on Kevin Lunney. Procedural stage: sentence. Findings: Convicted
When:
- January 18th Hearing Or Sentence
- October 2022 Hearing Or Sentence
- September 17, 2019 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2021-12-17 Publication
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Finding: Convicted
Outcome: Convicted; The High Court's decision means that the man cannot be identified by the media when he returns before the Special Criminal Court on Monday, when he and two others are due to be sentenced for the crimes they committed against Mr Lunney, a director of Quinn Industrial Holdings (QIH). Counsel said that, based on decisions made in other cases, a fade factor of about six months was required between the time his client is sentenced and when he is due to go before a judge and jury in the other courts.
Places mentioned
- High Court
- Special Criminal Court
- The High Court
- Central Criminal Court
Topics
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