Peter Butterly's widow told gardaí that IRA-accused was 'good friend' to them both

The widow of dissident republican Peter Butterly told gardaí that a man on trial in connection with the “meticulously-planned killing” of her husband was a "good friend" to both of them, the Special Criminal Court was told today.

Peter Butterly's widow told gardaí that IRA-accused was 'good friend' to them both

The widow of dissident republican Peter Butterly told gardaí that a man on trial in connection with the “meticulously-planned killing” of her husband was a "good friend" to both of them, the Special Criminal Court was told today.

The deceased man's wife also said that Mr Butterly had five death threats against him, including one from slain Real IRA leader Alan Ryan.

The non-jury court also heard that the father-of-three told his wife that he was meeting IRA accused Ray Kennedy in The Huntsman Inn in Gormanston, Co Meath at 2pm on March 6, 2013.

In his opening address, the prosecution said that Mr Kennedy maintains that he was not meeting Mr Butterly until 2.30pm that day.

A statement taken from the wife of Mr Butterly, Eithne Butterly, on April 16, 2013 was read into the record today in the Special Criminal Court trial of Mr Kennedy, 39, and Laurence Murphy, 62, who are charged with IRA membership.

Mr Butterly, 35, was shot dead shortly after 2pm on March 6, 2013 outside The Huntsman Inn in Gormanston, Co Meath.

He died from gun shots wounds to his neck and upper back.

Mr Murphy, of McDonough Caravan Park, Triton Road, Bettystown, Co Meath and Mr Kennedy, with an address at Whitestown Drive, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15, have pleaded not guilty to membership of an unlawful organisation, styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Oglaigh Na hÉireann, otherwise the IRA on March 6, 2013.

Mr Kennedy is also charged with carrying out an act intending to pervert the course of justice by destroying a mobile telephone SIM card, which was in his possession on the same date in the State.

Caroline Cummings BL, prosecuting, today read the statement of Mrs Butterly, who said that she started to go out with Mr Butterly in 1996 and they got married in a registry office outside Dundalk in 2001.

They had three children and built a house on Mr Butterly's father's land in 2002, she added.

Mrs Butterly said that Ray Kennedy rang her phone at lunchtime on March 5, the day before the killing.

"When Ray rang my phone he asked was Peter in. Peter was in the kitchen with me and I handed over the phone to him and he went outside.

"I only got a bit of the conversation when Peter came back into the kitchen. Ray was asking Peter about log books for cars and Peter said he was going to go into Drogheda to see about them," continued Ms Butterly.

Mrs Butterly said that her husband told Mr Kennedy that he would see him the following day and the conversation lasted about five minutes.

Mrs Butterly said that she and her husband met Mr Kennedy for a coffee about three weeks prior to the shooting in the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Blanchardstown.

"It was a social meeting. Ray would be a good friend to both of us. We know Ray for about three or four years.

"We would have met him through David Dodrill who is serving time in Portlaoise. We know him through the 32 County Sovereignty Movement," she said.

Mrs Butterly said that her husband informed her that he was meeting Mr Kennedy in The Huntsman Inn at 2pm on March 6. She said her husband left their house between 12.35pm and 12.40pm on the afternoon of March 6 and was in "great form".

She had no contact with her husband after he left the house that day until she heard "the news" later that afternoon.

The widow said a named man rang to inform her that an ambulance and gardaí were in the carpark of The Huntsmans Inn around 2.30pm.

Peter Butterly
Peter Butterly

"I rang Peter straight away and it rang out," she recalled.

This named man rang Mrs Butterly again when she was on her way to The Huntsmans Inn to tell her that somebody had been shot dead, she said.

When she arrived at the public house, gardaí informed her "that the person who was shot was Peter".

"I know Peter had a death threat from Alan Ryan way back last year. I don't know why or Peter didn't know," she said, adding that Mr Butterly had got five Garda notification forms about a threat to his life.

"Peter left Republicanism over a year ago because he was a free man. Peter was not involved in racketeering, extortion or drugs. Nobody tried to get him back into the Republican movement," she continued.

Mrs Butterly said she was suspended from the 32 County Sovereignty Movement pending an investigation from the National Executive because she allegedly told David Dodrill to plead guilty to membership of an organisation styling itself the IRA.

Furthermore, she said she knew her husband saw a suspicious car prior to his shooting when it drove into the front of their house, he followed it and retrieved the registration number.

Mrs Butterly said her husband was buried as "Peter Butterly husband and father which he would have wanted" and it was not a Republican funeral.

In summary, she said that "Peter will be missed as a husband and father."

Following this, the prosecution read a second statement by Mrs Butterly taken on June 23, 2014 in which she clarified that her husband had a mobile phone when he died.

"Peter had my number saved as 'Queen'. He also had Ray Kennedy's mobile saved as 'Marsbar' in his phone," she said.

I know this because I saw 'Marsbar' on Peter's phone. Peter would have called Ray Kennedy 'Marsbar'. It was a nick-name Peter had on him.

Around the time Mr Butterly died, Ray Kennedy would have contacted Mrs Butterly's phone as there were free calls between 085 numbers, the court heard.

"I remember Ray rang my phone twice on March 5, 2013. One call lasted a few seconds and the other call was longer. I can't remember what time exactly this was," she concluded.

Opening the prosecution case on Tuesday, Paul O’Higgins SC told the three-judge court that Mr Butterly drove his grey Renault Laguna vehicle into the carpark of The Huntsman Inn in Gormanstown, Co Kildare at 1.45pm on March 6, 2013 and was shot dead shortly after 2pm.

Gardaí were conducting a significant degree of surveillance at the time, he indicated.

Counsel said the court will hear that the meeting between the two men was arranged for 2pm but Mr Kennedy maintains that he was not to meet Mr Butterly until 2.30pm.

Furthermore, Mr O'Higgins said it was also the prosecution’s case that when Mr Kennedy discovered his friend was dead, his reaction was to destroy a SIM card which may have contained evidence.

“The prosecution will say that it is plain from that that Mr Kennedy had involvement of some kind in the events leading to the killing,” he suggested.

Four men - Kevin Braney, 44, of Glenshane Crescent, Tallaght, Dublin 24; Edward McGrath, 37, of Land Dale Lawns, Springfield, Tallaght; Sharif Kelly, 49, of Pinewood Green Road, Balbriggan and Dean Evans, 27, of Grange Park Rise, Raheny, Dublin - have all already received life sentences at the Special Criminal Court following convictions for Mr Butterly's murder.

Two other men, Michael McDermott, 60, of Riverdale House, Garrymore, Ballinagh, Co Cavan and Frank Murphy, 59, of McDonagh Caravan Park, Triton Road, Bettystown, Co Meath, who played roles in the murder of Mr Butterly have also been jailed.

The trial resumes tomorrow in front of Ms Justice Tara Burns, presiding, sitting with Judge Sarah Berkeley and Judge Michael Walsh.

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