Eoin Reynolds
A van that the prosecution alleges was used by businessman Kevin Lunney's abductors may have come to Ireland by ferry from Holyhead less than one month before the offences, the Special Criminal Court has heard.
It is the prosecution case that a Renault Kangoo van with a registration plate ending in PXU was imported by Cyril McGuinness, now deceased. In his opening speech at the beginning of the trial, prosecution counsel Sean Guerin SC said McGuinness organised the abduction and assault on Mr Lunney.
Shipping manager with Victor Treacy International, Laura Curran, on Monday told Mr Guerin that her company received a booking for a van with the same registration to travel from Holyhead to Dublin on the Swift sailing on August 27th, 2019 at 16.45.
A phone number and visa credit card were used in making the booking and the name associated with the card was "C McGuinness", she said.
A 40-year-old man known as YZ, Alan O’Brien (40), of Shelmalier Road, East Wall, Dublin 3, Darren Redmond (27), from Caledon Road, East Wall, Dublin 3 and Luke O’Reilly (67), with an address at Mullahoran Lower, Kilcogy, Co Cavan have all pleaded not guilty to false imprisonment and intentionally causing serious harm to Mr Lunney at Drumbrade, Ballinagh, Co Cavan on September 17th, 2019.
Mr Lunney has told the court that he was bundled into the boot of a car near his home and driven to a container where he was threatened and told to resign his position as a director of Quinn Industrial Holdings.
His abductors cut him with a Stanley knife, stripped him to his boxer shorts, doused him in bleach, broke his leg with two blows of a wooden bat, beat him on the ground, cut his face and scored the letters QIH into his chest. They left him bloodied, beaten and shivering on a country road at Drumcoghill in Co Cavan where he was discovered by a man driving a tractor.
Mr Justice Tony Hunt is presiding in the trial with Judge Gerard Griffin and Judge David McHugh.
