A 37-year-old bus driver has been found guilty at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin of the murder of Andrew Burns, who was shot dead in a church car park in County Donegal almost four years ago.
Martin Kelly had pleaded not guilty but the three judges said he was guilty on the basis that he was part of a “joint enterprise”.
Andrew Burns was shot twice in the back at Donnyloop near Castlefin by a gunman linked to the Real IRA on 12 February 2008. There was speculation that it was punishment shooting which went wrong.
The trial heard that Kelly had admitted to gardaí that he knew a punishment beating or shooting of Mr Burns was planned. He brought him to the scene, witnessed the shooting, brought others away and helped dispose of the murder weapon – a revolver.
The non-jury court found today that Kelly’s confessions were strongly supported by other evidence, in particular the evidence of the pathologist and ballistic evidence.
He was remanded in custody for sentencing in January.