Judge directs Longford men walk free
Charges alleging two Longford men were part of an armed group who ambushed a wedding party and shot two passengers have been withdrawn from a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Dennis McGinley (aged 44) of Woodlands, Abbeycartron and Patrick Hannafin (aged 62) of Dublin Road, Longford walked free after Judge Rory MacCabe ruled that there was insufficient evidence against them.
They had pleaded not guilty to violent disorder with other people at Dublin Road Longford on August 30, 2006.
A similar charge against Tommy McGinley (aged 26) of Palace Drive, Longford was withdrawn earlier on behalf of the Director of Public Prosecutions by Mr Eanna Mulloy SC (with Mr Desmond Dockery BL).
Tommy McGinley pleaded guilty to knowingly making a false report to gardaí that he received a threat and that his property had been damaged, on the same date and he as been remanded on bail for sentence later on this.
The trial continues on charges of violent disorder on the same date against William McGinley (aged 66) of Shroid and Robert Hannafin (aged 33), of Dublin Road, Longford.
They were previosuly also accused of assaulting Hugh and Therese Nevin causing them harm during the incident but these charges were also struck out by Judge MacCabe.
Earlier, John Nevin, who was sitting in the back of the car when it was attacked, gave evidence that he was shot in the arm as he tried to shield his son.
Mr Nevin told prosecuting counsel, Mr Enna Mulloy SC, he was sitting in the back seat with his two sons when the car was blocked in by other vehicles and surrounded by men.
He said the window beside him was smashed with a slashhook which then hit him in the arm. He said someone hit him in the leg with a machete which he grabbed and his fingers were cut as it was pulled away.
He told Mr Mulloy he heard his elder son "shout something about a gun". Mr Nevin said he tried to shield his elder son's head who in turn threw his body over his younger brother.
He said someone fired a gun, hitting him in his arm which was around his son's head. He said he did not hear the shot and could not say if there was more than one.
Robert Hannafin's defence counsel, Mr Ken Fogarty SC, showed Mr Nevin photographs of the car after the incident showing that the window he claimed was broken with a slashhook was "completely intact".
Mr Nevin responded: "I'm only telling you what happened, maybe I got it wrong."
Mr Nevin's son, John Joe Nevin, also gave evidence that he saw "about 20 men" approach the car and that one of them was armed with a sawn-off shotgun. He confirmed that he was shot in the back and that he received 18 pellet wounds.
He told Mr Fogarty he couldn't see the gunman's face and that he did not see Robert Hannafin among the group.
Therese Nevin gave evidence that the group attacked her as she was sitting in the passenger seat with a child on her lap.
She claimed there was a man with a pitchfork leaning across her and trying to stab her husband who was in the driver's seat.
She said she heard shouts of "kill them Nevin bastards" and that she received injuries to her right arm. She told Mr Mulloy the attack only ended when a man said: "let them go, there's a child in the car".
Garda Sergeant Keelan Brennan told Mr Mulloy that Robert Hannafin denied been in the area at the time and claimed he was in Sligo. He said he did not know Hugh Nevin and he only heard about the incident on the radio.
The trial continues before a jury of seven men and eight women.
