Public to be excluded from court while surveillance gardaí give evidence

The Special Criminal Court has ruled that members of the public should be excluded from the court when six members of the Garda National Surveillance Unit give evidence in the trial of eight Dublin men accused of IRA membership.

It is the second consecutive trial from which the court has excluded the public from hearing evidence by NSU members. The court made a similar order during the 55-day trial of three men for the murder of dissident republican Peter Butterly.

Mr Justice Paul Butler, presiding at the three-judge non- jury court, ruled that the members of the NSU should not be named in court and that certain parts of their evidence relating to the “tradecraft and methodology” of the NSU cannot be published by the media.

The court ruling came after Det Supt Willie Johnson, the officer in charge of the NSU, gave evidence that members of his unit could be in danger if they were identified.

The court has heard that the eight men were arrested after a Garda swoop at a used car sales lot in Clondalkin on Good Friday, 2013. Prosecuting counsel Tara Burns said gardaí found cable ties, balaclavas, a Glock pistol, a baseball bat and pepper spray, among other items.

The eight are Kevin Braney (40) of Glenshane Crescent, Tallaght; Des Christie (50) of Liam Mellows Road, Finglas; Eamon McNamee (34) of Larkfield Square, Lucan; Hubert Duffy (47) of George’s Place, Dublin 1; William Jackson (55) of Dooncourt, Poppintree, Dublin; Declan Phelan (33) of Lanndale Lawns, Tallaght; John Brock (42) of Glenview Park, Tallaght; and Darren Murphy (44) of Rory O’Connor House, Dublin 1.

The trial is continuing.