Garda surveillance member gave evidence in Peter Butterly murder trial

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

A Garda National Surveillance Unit member gave evidence at the Special Criminal Court in the trial of Edward McGrath, Dean Evans and Sharif Kelly over the murder of Peter Butterly. The report said this evidence was heard the previous week and that the public gallery was told to leave while members of the unit testified.

The proceedings were reported on 18 November 2014. Peter Butterly was shot dead in the car park of the Huntsman Inn at Gormanston, County Meath, on 6 March 2013.

Edward McGrath, Dean Evans and Sharif Kelly had pleaded not guilty to the murder of Peter Butterly. The three men were also charged with firearm offences and membership of a dissident republican organisation.

The report described a later hearing at the non-jury Special Criminal Court, presided over by Justice Deirdre Murphy. David Cullen, who had previously been accused alongside the three men of killing Peter Butterly, was giving evidence for the prosecution amid heightened security.

The report said that, for his cooperation, David Cullen had been charged only with possession of a firearm and was serving a five-year sentence. The trial remained ongoing, with security arrangements due to continue while David Cullen gave evidence.