‘Footage of Lyra killing’ is shown in court hearing
MOBILE phone footage purporting to show the fatal shooting of a journalist in Londonderry has been shown during a hearing at the city’s magistrates court.
A prosecution barrister said it showed a masked gunman firing on police lines and killing Lyra Mckee during rioting in the Creggan area two years ago.
The dramatic footage was recorded on the evening of April 18, 2019, when the 29-year-old journalistwasshotdeadasshe observed rioting.
During the disorder, petrol bombs and pieces of masonry were thrown at police lines, which also came under fire.
The footage from the phone was played before District Judge Ted Magill during a preliminary inquiry hearing being held to determine if there is sufficient evidence to send two men for trial on charges linked to the journalist’s death.
The full hearing is to be held behind closed doors after the District Judge ruled that neither the opening statements by the prosecution and defence, nor evidence from witnesses can be reported.
The two defendants — Paul Mcintyre (53), from Ballymagowan
Park, and Christopher Gillen (40), from Balbane Pass, both in the Creggan — refused to give their consent to the preliminary inquiry hearing when asked by a court clerk.
Mcintyre denies murdering Ms Mckee.
He also denies throwing and possessing petrol bombs, riotous assembly, stealing and setting fire to a tipper truck, and possessing a firearm and ammunition.
And he denies belonging to a proscribed organisation, namely the IRA, hijacking and setting fire to a car, possessing a holdall in suspicious circumstances and assaulting a man.
Gillen denies throwing and possessing petrol bombs, riotous assembly and hijacking and setting fire to a tipper truck.
The preliminary inquiry hearing comes a week after relatives and friends of Ms Mckee erected posters on billboards in Derry in memory of the murdered woman.
The posters show a photograph of the murdered woman together with a quotation from one of her media articles which reads: “Here’s to better times ahead and saying goodbye to bombs and bullets once and for all.”