Judge refuses to dismiss charges in Lyra McKee murder case

The judge in the Lyra McKee murder trial has dismissed a defence application that there is no case to answer.

The journalist was shot dead while observing rioting in the Creggan area of Londonderry in April 2019.

The New IRA admitted responsibility for the 29-year-old's murder.

Peter Cavanagh, 37, of Mary Street in Derry; Jordan Devine, 25, of Bishop Street; and Paul McIntyre, 58, of Kells Walk are all charged with murder.

In her ruling at Belfast Crown Court on Friday, Mrs Justice Smyth said they and six other men from Derry who face charges including rioting and throwing a petrol bomb should remain on trial.

All nine deny the charges.

They six other defendants are: Joseph Barr, 37, of Sandringham Drive; Jude McCrory, 28, of Gartan Square; Joseph Anthony Campbell, 25, of Goshaden Cottages; Patrick Anthony Gallagher, 33, of John Field Place; Kieran George McCool, 57, of Ballymagowan Gardens; and Christopher Joseph Gillen, 45, of Balbane Pass.

One other defendant, William Patrick Elliott, 58, formerly of Ballymagowan Gardens, died last year.

Mrs Justice Smyth told the court that all nine defendants still had a case to answer on all the charges.

The applications of no case to answer, made by the defence at the conclusion of the prosecution case, were based on insufficiency of evidence.

Mrs Justice Smyth considered matters relating to the evidence laid out by the prosecution, including the admissibility of footage from MTV and identification evidence from Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) officers.

She found that in this trial, which is sitting without a jury, there is still a case to answer.

Defence teams will now consider the judgement.