Image source, Jess Lowe via EPABySara GirvinIreland correspondent
Three men accused of murdering journalist Lyra McKee in Northern Ireland more than seven years ago have been found not guilty.
The 29-year-old author died after being shot as she stood close to police vehicles, watching disturbances in the Creggan area of Londonderry in April 2019.
The New IRA – a dissident republican paramilitary group – claimed responsibility for her death.
The three men charged with murder were Paul McIntyre, Peter Cavanagh and Jordan Devine.
Image source, PA Media(L-R) Peter Cavanagh, Jordan Devine and Paul McIntyre
The prosecution’s case was that they accompanied a lone gunman to a firing point on the night Lyra was killed, and encouraged or assisted him.
But the defence said much of the prosecution case was based on “pure speculation”.
The non-jury trial lasted for two years and ended in April.
The judge, Mrs Justice Smyth, reserved her judgement to give “proper consideration” to all the points that had been made in the case.