Three individuals have been acquitted of the murder of journalist Lyra McKee in 2019. McKee, aged 29, was fatally shot while observing disturbances in the Creggan area of Londonderry on April 18, 2019. The chaotic incident involved the hurling of petrol bombs at police and the setting ablaze of a vehicle, leading to the firing of four shots toward officers.
The New IRA, a dissident republican paramilitary organization, claimed responsibility for the killing. The trial, overseen by Mrs. Justice Smyth without a jury at Belfast Crown Court, commenced in May 2024. The defendants, Paul McIntyre, Peter Cavanagh, and Jordan Gareth Devine, faced a joint enterprise murder charge but were not directly implicated in firing the fatal shot that took McKee’s life.
Prosecutors alleged that the trio accompanied a lone gunman on the night of the incident and either encouraged or aided in the act. However, defense lawyers criticized the evidence presented, citing its largely circumstantial nature and reliance on speculation.
The verdict, delivered on Friday, cleared all three defendants of McKee’s murder. The lack of visible reaction from the men upon hearing the not guilty verdicts contrasted sharply with the emotional response from McKee’s family, who expressed profound disappointment in the justice system’s failure to deliver justice for Lyra. Despite the outcome, McKee’s family vowed to continue fighting for justice in her memory.
In her concluding remarks, Justice Smyth condemned McKee’s murder as a senseless act of violence, noting the absence of the actual gunman in court and the insufficiency of evidence against the accused individuals. Reporters Without Borders emphasized the importance of holding those responsible for McKee’s death to account to safeguard press freedom and ensure justice for slain journalists.