Police recall Derry-Creggan riot attacks on night Lyra McKee died

Three police officers who were inside PSNI Land rovers that came under attack during a riot in Derry which claimed the life of Lyra McKee gave evidence at her murder trial on Tuesday, June 3. The 29-year old journalist and author died after she was struck in the head by a bullet as she stood beside a police Landrover parked on Fanad Drive observing the riot in the Creggan Estate on the evening of April 18, 2019. The New IRA claimed responsibility for her murder.

After a prosecuting barrister concluded opening the Crown's case to Judge Patricia Smyth at the non-jury trial at Belfast Crown Court, three officers who was present on the evening in question was called to give evidence. The first officer confirmed he was behind the wheel of one of the police vehicles parked on Fanad Drive closest to the junction of Central Drive from where the gunman fired four shots. He said he was parked in that position "for a couple of hours" during which his vehicle was attacked by "petrol bombs, stones and masonry." When asked by a Crown barrister what else he observed, the now-retired constable said "a couple of vehicles were burned in the middle of the road in front of us at that stage and later on there was a gunman." Saying his Landrover was petrol-bombed "quite repetitively", he said when the petrol hit the windscreen and the bonnet, this produced a "large flame" and the smoke from this obscured his vision. The former officer was then asked what happened at around 11.03pm when he received a radio transmission and he said: "At the end of the wall there was a dark figure pointing something towards the police line, the police vehicle, and the front of our vehicle was struck a number of times." He said he then "heard a couple of popping noises, they weren't very loud, and then a couple of cracks appeared in the top right-hand side of the windscreen belonging to the police truck." When he was asked by the Crown barrister if his vehicle was still being petrol bombed at this stage, he answered "yes, that was constant." A second constable who on April 18, 2019 was with the Tactical Support Group in Strabane was also called to give evidence. He was present in a police vehicle parked on Fanad Drive close to the junction with Central Drive which he said came under a "sustained" attack by petrol bombs. This constable confirmed he saw a flat-bed truck being set on fire and masked men placing a bag on the footpath at Fanad Drive. He was then asked if he recalled "hearing the sound of gunfire" and he replied "yes I did" and said this was at around 11pm. When he was asked what he saw and heard at that point, the constable said: "We heard crackling then we heard a pinging noise with a small vibration off the truck. "We believed at that point it may have been gunfire. We then looked out through the portholes of the truck and we could see people frantically running in the opposite direction." This officer confirmed that following this, officers moved to the junction, set up a police cordon and observed spent casings which were left in situ for Crime Scene Investigators. The third and final officer called to the witness stand was also asked what he saw and heard that evening. After confirming the vehicle he was in on Fanad Drive was attacked with missiles including petrol bombs and fireworks, the constable was asked "what could you see from your position?" He replied: "They tended to come in waves of a group, maybe five or six masked individuals, and several of them would be armed with petrol bombs and they would throw them at our truck and at the truck next to us, then they would head back towards the direction of the Creggan shops and out of view. "Then every few minutes another group would come. Same again." He was then asked by the Crown barrister about what happened at around 11pm. He answered: "My driver and the Inspector called out 'gunman' after I heard a popping sound. I assumed it was more fireworks but whenever they shouted 'gunman' I assumed then there was somebody shooting. "I didn't actually see the gunman myself, the windscreen was blacked out with petrol bomb remnants." He was then asked if he was aware of what happened after shots were fired and he said: "Through radio transmissions ... I had my radio on and I could hear tranmissions that a female had been injured." Three Derry men have been charged with murdering Ms McKee, possessing a firearm and ammunition and other linked offences including rioting and both possessing and throwing petrol bombs. The trio are Paul McIntyre (56) from Kells Walk, 23-year old Jordan Devine from Bishop Street and Peter Cavanagh (35) from Mary Street. It's the Crown's case that whilst none of these three defendants were the gunman who fired the fatal shot that killed Ms Kee, their actions at the scene "are demonstrative of their involvement in the joint enterprise to possess and fire the weapon with the requisite intent for murder." Seven co-accused, also from Derry, are facing charges including rioting and throwing petrol bombs. They are Christopher Gillen (43) from Balbane Pass, Joseph Campbell (23) from Gosheden Gardens, 32-year old Patrick Gallagher from John Field Place, Jude McCrory (26) from Gartan Square, Joseph Barr (36) from Sandringham Drive, 55-year old Kieran McCool from Ballymagowan Gardens and William Elliot (57), who is also from Ballymagowan Gardens. All ten defendants have denied the charges levelled against them. The trial continues.

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