Bid to extend anonymity of Kevin Lunney attacker comes before High Court

An application to extend an order preserving the anonymity of a man convicted over his role in the kidnapping of businessman Kevin Lunney has come before the High Court.

The application has been brought to protect the right of the man, known only as YZ, to a fair trial, Mr Justice Charles Meenan heard.

The man has other criminal matters pending before the criminal courts and it is alleged that naming in the media could prejudice these rights .

The order was due to expire earlier this week but the man’s lawyers successfully applied to the Special Criminal Court for a short extension to allow them to go to the High Court seeking an order that he should remain anonymous until the other matters before the courts are dealt with.

Michael O’Higgins SC, for YZ, told the High Court on Thursday it was their case that the man’s anonymity should be preserved until a date in mid-January at least. At that stage, he said, it may be known when the trials on the other pending matters were likely to be heard.

Mr Justice Meenan directed that the application for leave be made on notice to lawyers for the Director of Public Prosecutions.

YZ and two co-accused are due to be sentenced on Monday for their roles in the abduction and torture of Mr Lunney.

Following their trial YZ was convicted along with two other men of false imprisonment and intentionally causing harm to Mr Lunney at a yard at Drumbrade, Ballinagh, Co Cavan on September 17th, 2019.

The trial heard that Mr Lunney, a director of Quinn Industrial Holdings (QIH), was driving along a laneway near his home when a car reversed into his vehicle and two men forced him into the boot of his Audi A4.

Mr Lunney was brought to a remote farmyard in Cavan where he was beaten, sliced with a Stanley knife and had the letters QIH carved into his chest.

The men told Mr Lunney to resign from his position with QIH and end legal proceedings he was involved with in Belfast and Dublin.

Special Criminal Court judge Mr Justice Tony Hunt said YZ was “heavily involved in these crimes before, during and after the commission thereof”.

The court was satisfied that YZ was the driver of the car used to take Mr Lunney to the yard and that he was “responsible for inflicting most of Mr Lunney’s serious injuries”.