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Lyra McKee murder trial continues
This is the photo that Lyra McKee supplied to Forbes magazine when it declared her one of its 30 under 30 in media in 2016.
MRS JUSTICE Patricia Smyth ruled on 27 February that the trial of three men for the murder of freelance journalist Lyra McKee must continue. She rejected an application by the defence that there was “no case to answer”.
Paul McIntyre, Jordan Devine and Peter Cavanagh are charged with murder, though none is alleged to have fired the gun that killed Lyra on the night of 18 April 2019, while she was observing rioting in the Creggan area of Derry. Another six men - Christopher Gillen, Joseph Campbell, Patrick Gallagher, Jude McCrory and Kieran McCool - are charged with offences including rioting and throwing petrol bombs All nine deny the charges. A tenth defendant, William Elliot, died in England in February 2025.
The trial opened, without a jury, in May 2024 at Belfast Crown Court. The prosecution case concluded late last year.
Mrs Justice Smyth has ruled that certain identification evidence cannot be used, after hearing that a member of the Major Investigation Team of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) showed footage of suspects to officers in the Waterside District Support Unit. While finding that this was not done in bad faith, she said “That does not in any way justify what can only be regarded as deeply disturbing behaviour by an experienced police officer who displayed an unhealthy desire to identify the perpetrators at any cost.”
The case continues.
Lyra McKee: Judge refuses application to dismiss charges belfastlive.co.uk