Three men found not guilty of murdering journalist Lyra McKee

McKee, 29, from Belfast, died after being hit by a bullet as she stood close to police vehicles while observing rioting in the Creggan area of Derry on 18 April 2019. The New IRA claimed responsibility for the killing.

On Friday in a long-awaited verdict, Jordan Devine, 25, Paul McIntyre, 58, and Peter Cavanagh, 38, were all cleared of her murder. The trial, which opened in May 2024, was held at Belfast crown court before Mrs Justice Smyth, who sat without a jury.

Prosecutors told the court none of the three men fired the fatal shot, but were engaged in a joint enterprise to encourage and assist the gunman. The defence said much of the prosecution case was based on “pure speculation”. In February, Smyth rejected a defence application that there was no case to answer due to insufficiency of evidence.

McKee’s friends described the verdict as “heartbreaking”. Her sister Nichola Corner said the verdict had come as a “complete and utter shock”. Speaking outside the court, she said: “Previously, the judge has said that each of these defendants had a case to answer.

“However, the evidence did not stand up to the level of scrutiny that she expected to take the case over the line, which means that that system has completely failed Lyra and has failed our family and has failed Northern Ireland.”

Corner called for an end to the “culture of silence” in Northern Ireland. She said: “People are afraid to speak out, they are afraid to tell the truth, they are afraid to share information that they have that could convict guilty people. Over 150 people witnessed this event on the 18 April 2019; not one of those 150 people came forward with evidence which could have supported the police case and the prosecution’s case. That culture of silence needs to stop in Northern Ireland.”