Two In Court Charged With New IRA Murder of Blogger Lyra McKee In Northern Ireland In 2019
09:51 GMT 17.09.2021 (Updated: 13:47 GMT 01.03.2022)
© Sputnik / Chris Summers
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Lyra McKee was shot dead in riots in the Creggan estate in Derry in April 2019. The New IRA admitted firing the shot which killed her as she hid behind a police vehicle.
Two men have been charged with the murder of Lyra McKee, a journalist and blogger who was shot dead as she covered rioting in a Catholic area of Londonderry in 2019.
Peter Géaroid Cavanagh, 33, and Jordan Devine, 21, appeared in court in the city on Friday, 17 September.
McKee, 29, was covering riots on the Creggan estate when she was hit by gunfire as she crouched behind a police Land Rover.
Didn’t sleep well last night at all. Nightmares. As is the case any time the murder of Lyra comes to the forefront of my mind. If it’s like that for me - at a distance - I can’t imagine how family cope. I hope they will soon know closure and some peace https://t.co/k4ahXGMy1m
— Leona O'Neill (@LeonaONeill1) September 17, 2021
The New IRA, a dissident republican group opposed to Northern Ireland's peace process, admitted it fired the shots and hit her by accident while aiming at police officers.
McKee’s death was greeted with widespread horror and her funeral was attended by Prime Minister Theresa May and the leader of the opposition Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, as well as Northern Irish political leaders.
Detectives from our Major Investigation Team have charged two men with the murder of journalist Lyra McKee. Lyra was shot dead by terrorists in Derry/Londonderry in April 2019 pic.twitter.com/wRXv32wDzH
— Police Service NI (@PoliceServiceNI) September 16, 2021
Cavanagh and Devine have also been charged with possession of a firearm and ammunition, possession of petrol bombs, throwing petrol bombs, arson and riot.
A prosecutor told the court it was believed the two defendants were with the gunman who fired the fatal shot.
He said Cavanagh had been identified from images taken during the riot and was linked forensically to a burned zip fastener which was found nearby.
But Cavanagh's lawyer said it was "absolutely beyond belief" that he could be identified from the footage.
The court was told Devine was seen punching the air and cheering during the incident, and also lifted items from the scene.
District Judge Barney McElholm gave Cavanagh and Devine conditional bail.
A third man, Paul McIntyre, 52, has already been charged with Ms McKee's murder and awaits trial.
Ms McKee, who was gay, blogged about growing up in the generation of "ceasefire babies" - young people raised after the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which ended three decades of sectarian violence.
Ms McKee, who was gay, blogged about growing up in the generation of "ceasefire babies" - young people raised after the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which ended three decades of sectarian violence.
