Kevin Lunney kidnap suspects to face additional charge that carries maximum sentence of life in prison
The four men remanded in custody since before Christmas in connection with the abduction and false imprisonment of Quinn Industrial Holdings director Kevin Lunney in September, are each to face an additional charge.
The State solicitor for Roscommon, Kieran Madigan, told a sitting of Harristown District Court this morning that the four men would be charged with causing serious harm under Section 4 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act.
The offence carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment upon conviction.
The four men were charged with assault causing harm and false imprisonment when they were arrested and remanded in custody in November.
They have since been remanded in custody on a number of occasions when they appeared at Harristown District Court, which is adjacent to Castlerea Prison in Co. Roscommon.
Luke O'Reilly, aged 66, from Mullahoran Lower, Kilcogy, Co. Cavan, Darren Redmond, aged 25, from Caledon Road, East Wall, Dublin and Alan O'Brien, aged 38, of Shelmalier Road, East Wall, were remanded to appear before Harristown District Court next Friday.
A fourth defendant, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was also remanded to appear before Harristown District Court next Friday.
A previous sitting of the court was told that the Book of Evidence had been sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions on January 31.
State solicitor Mr Madigan requested this morning that the four men be remanded in custody for a month when a date would be set to move the case back to Cavan District Court for the additional charge and the Book of Evidence to be served.
The maximum period a defendant can be remanded in custody, after their initial hearing, is 15 days unless the defendant and prosecutor consents to a longer period.
Judge James Faughnan at Harristown District Court was told that none of the four men consented.
Defence solicitor Alan Gannon said that the defendants wished for the case to proceed as quickly as possible.
Judge Faughnan then remanded them in custody for a week as there is no sitting of the court in a fortnight’s time.
Mr Madigan said the DPP has indicated that the matter will proceed by indictment.
At a previous sitting Mr Madigan outlined that it was a very complex with over 1,000 lines of inquiry, 400 statements, extensive CCTV footage and a large amount of phone data.
