Vincent Banks convicted of IRA membership

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

Vincent Banks was convicted in July 2017 at the Special Criminal Court of membership of the IRA on 18 December 2012. The proceedings were reported on 9 October 2017.

Detective Inspector Anthony Lenehan told the court that police had established a forensic link between a Toyota Camry and the fatal shooting of Northern Ireland prison officer David Black. Gardaí learned that Banks had bought the car. Mr Black was killed on 1 November 2012.

In April 2014, Banks was acquitted at the Special Criminal Court of withholding information relating to Mr Black’s murder. Under cross-examination by defence counsel Padraig Dwyer SC, Det Insp Lenehan agreed that one reason for the acquittal was that there was no evidence Banks knew the car was to be used in a murder.

The court heard that Banks had no previous convictions of note. Mr Dwyer asked the court to consider the absence of serious criminal convictions and the two years and three months his client had spent on bail awaiting the IRA membership trial.

Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, sitting with Judge Gerard Griffin and Judge Gerard Haughton, remanded Banks in custody until 23 October, when he was due to be sentenced.