Kevin Lunney 'roared with pain' during abduction ordeal

The father of six was abducted close to his County Fermanagh home in 2019

Quinn Industrial Holdings executive Kevin Lunney has given evidence at the trial of four men accused of abducting and assaulting him.

The 51-year-old father of six was abducted close to his home in County Fermanagh on 17 September 2019.

His leg was broken, the letters QIH carved into his chest and he was doused in bleach.

The kidnapping lasted two-and-a-half hours, before he was left on a roadside in County Cavan.

The trial is being held at a three judge non-jury special criminal court in Dublin.

Luke O'Reilly, 67, from Mullahoran Lower, Kilcogy, County Cavan; Darren Redmond, 27, from Caledon Road, East Wall, Dublin; Alan O'Brien, 40, of Shelmalier Road, East Wall, Dublin, are all charged with false imprisonment and assault causing serious harm to Mr Lunney.

Another 40-year-old man, 'YZ', who cannot be named for legal reasons, is also charged with the same offences at the same date and location.

He is due to face another trial on unrelated matters.

The four deny all charges.

'Boss, we had to hit him'

Mr Lunney told the court on Thursday that, on the evening he was kidnapped, a large white vehicle parked on the laneway into his home suddenly reversed and crashed into his car as he returned from work.

He said two men wearing dark clothes and balaclavas smashed their way into his locked vehicle as he resisted.

Mr Lunney said he was then forcibly removed from the vehicle and a Stanley knife was put to his neck by a third man who seemed older and had a Dublin accent.

He told the court he was then dumped into a car boot.

He said he managed to open the boot but no passing vehicle recognised what was happening and the car was driving too fast for him to get out.

The kidnappers then grabbed his leg, he said, and he resisted.

The Quinn group of companies has been rebranded

The car then slowed and the individuals got out and surrounded him.

The third man said: "We are not going to kill you. But if you don't get back in we will kill you."

Mr Lunney said he was then hit on the side of the face and was dazed he got back into the boot.

He told the court he then heard one of the three kidnappers ring a man and say: "Boss, this man resisted and we had to hit him."

The prosecution case is that Darren Redmond, Alan O'Brien and the man known as YZ were the kidnappers.

Mr Lunney said he was then driven to a rural outhouse and told to get into a blue container.

'We know about your daughter'

Mr Lunney told the court the kidnappers told him: "You're here because of Quinn Industrial Holdings and you're going to resign. You destroyed the company and three others are going to resign."

He said the kidnappers also told him he was going to drop defamation actions and injunctions north and south.

He said the kidnappers told him: "We know all about you. We know about your daughter in the GAA top. We've been watching you for six weeks."

Mr Lunney said he then heard the kidnappers say "we have a problem with DNA because of his resistance".

One of them then used a knife to scrape under his finger nails, drawing blood.

After a while, he said the kidnappers stripped him to his boxer shorts, loosened the cable ties that held him and doused him with a rag covered in bleach.

He said the bleach hurt wounds in his arms and legs, and irritated his face but did not go in his eyes.

Letters carved 'to remind you why you're here'

He said he agreed again to quit QIH.

The kidnappers then said: "We are going to release you but we have to rough you up."

He said he was then hit with a heavy implement on his right leg, causing him to roar with pain.

Mr Lunney said one of kidnappers asked another whether the leg had snapped and a bone broken.

When he was told by the other kidnappers he did not think Mr Lunney's leg was broken, he hit Mr Lunney a second time.

Mr Lunney said his face was cut and he was told: "We are going to have to mark you". He later had to get 26 stitches.

He said the letters QIH were then carved into his chest to "remind you why you're here".

He said the kidnappers then told him they would release him, but he and the three other directors were to resign.

He said they half carried him as he hobbled to a van in the dark. Mr Lunney was told not to talk to the police, otherwise he would be killed.

Mr Lunney said he was later helped out of the vehicle and told to keep his head in the ditch and not to look at the departing van as it moved away.

The trial continues.