Courts / Dublin / Report

Man wanted in connection with 1998 NI murder surrendered by High Court

Date
2015-09-05

Stage
Charge Or Pretrial

Primary locality
Dublin

County
Dublin

Summary

In September 2015 the High Court in Dublin ordered the surrender of Francis Lanigan, 49, to Northern Irish authorities. Lanigan, who had been living in Dublin under the alias Kieran McCrory, was arrested in January 2013 on an extradition warrant for the 1998 murder of John Knocker, who was shot in a hotel car park in Dungannon, County Tyrone. Lanigan had claimed that his life would be at risk from loyalist and republican paramilitaries if handed over to UK authorities. He had previously been denied bail in February 2013 as a flight risk, but secured a fresh bail in December 2013 despite Garda objections. The High Court, after an unsuccessful appeal by Lanigan's lawyers, issued the surrender order, and he was remanded in custody pending transfer to the North. The decision was made by Ms Justice Deirdre Murphy.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Man wanted in connection with 1998 NI murder surrendered by High Court. Procedural stage: charge_or_pretrial

When:

January 2013 Incident
May 31, 1998 Incident
February 2013 Hearing Or Sentence
2015-09-05 Publication

Why: The court also heard that gardai were aware Mr Lanigan was living under that name for a number of years before his arrest because a detective had covertly gone to the gym where he worked, had done a DNA test on a coffee cup and ascertained that the man living as Mr McCrory was really Mr Lanigan. CNI source report