Nairac kidnap charge man in court
A man charged in connection with the IRA abduction and disappearance of undercover Army officer Captain Robert Nairac more than 30 years ago was remanded on continuing bail when he appeared in court today.
Kevin Crilly (aged 58) from Lower Foughill Road, Jonesborough, Co Armagh, appeared briefly at Newry Magistrates’ Court on charges of assaulting and kidnapping Capt Nairac in 1977.
He denies the charges.
Capt Nairac, 29, from Gloucestershire, was abducted by the IRA from Dromintee, Co Armagh on May 14, 1977.
His body was never found.
The charges against Crilly were made after he was secretly filmed by the BBC for a Spotlight investigative programme which re-examined the murder in 2007.
Police told the initial hearing when Crilly was charged that the programme had been the trigger for the reopening of the case and much of the evidence would come from it.
Today a prosecution lawyer told District Judge Paul Copeland at Newry Magistrates’ Court that the Crown was not yet in a position to proceed to a committal hearing because some of the evidence was not yet in a form acceptable to the court.
The judge adjourned the case until April 15 when he said he would want to fix a date for the committal hearing.
Crilly was remanded on continuing bail of £120,000 (€127,800).
