Irish journalist Lyra McKee
Three men accused of murdering Irish journalist Lyra McKee during the 2019 Londonderry riots were acquitted on Friday, following one of the longest non-jury trials in modern Northern Irish history, leaving her family devastated.According to the BBC, the prosecution alleged that Peter Kavanagh, 38, Jordan Gareth Devine, 25, and Paul McIntyre, 58, acted alongside, encouraged or assisted the gunman who shot McKee, although none of them have been charged with firing the fatal shot.The defense said the prosecution’s case relied largely on speculation.Mackey, 29, was shot on April 18, 2019, while standing near police cars and watching clashes in the Creggan area of Londonderry.The dissident republican group the New IRA later admitted responsibility for the killing, but the gunman was never identified or brought to trial.The prosecution’s case relied on extensive video, cellphone and forensic evidence, including footage filmed by an MTV documentary crew who had been recording in the area earlier that evening.Prosecutors said the disturbance was deliberately orchestrated by dissident Republicans to coincide with the crew’s presence, even though filming had ended before the shooting occurred.
Handing down the sentences at Belfast Crown Court, Mrs Justice Smith admitted the outcome would bring “little, if any, relief” to McKee’s family and described her murder as a “senseless act of violence”. She also noted that the person who fired the fatal shot never faced justice.Outside court, Mackey’s sister, Nicola Corner, said the ruling was a “complete and utter shock” and accused the justice system of failing her family and Northern Ireland.“The system has completely failed Lyra, our family and Northern Ireland,” she said, adding that the family’s fight for justice was far from over. “We won’t leave any stone unturned. It’s not over yet. If you’re going to come down, come down fighting, Lyra said, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”Corner also criticized what she called a “culture of silence,” saying that although more than 150 people witnessed the events that night, no one came forward with important information.The Public Prosecution defended its decision to file the case, saying that the legal threshold for prosecution had been met and that the trial had succeeded in overcoming many legal challenges. But she acknowledged that the acquittals would be very disappointing for McKee’s loved ones.The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said it would consider the implications of the sentences before deciding its next steps, while stressing that its thoughts remain with Mackey’s family and friends.The National Union of Journalists also expressed concern that no one will be held accountable for Mackey’s killing. NUJ official Seamus Dooley said it remained a “grave concern” that the person who pulled the trigger had “got scot-free”, comparing the case to the unsolved murder of journalist Martin O’Hagan.The trial also included six other defendants facing a total of 52 charges related to the disorder. Kieran George McCall was found guilty of common assault, while Christopher Joseph Gillen was found guilty of rioting, possession and petrol bombing.Another defendant, William Patrick Elliott, died before the trial ended.