NI man given life sentence for role in dissident republican murder moves to appeal conviction

A man serving a life sentence for his role in a dissident republican murder in Donegal in 2008 has lodged an appeal against conviction at the Court of Appeal. Martin Kelly, aged 41, from Strabane in County Tyrone, was found guilty by the Special Criminal Court in January 2012 of the murder of Andrew Burns, who was shot dead in a church car park at Donnyloop, Castlefin, on 12 February 2008. Kelly had pleaded not guilty to the charge. The three-judge court also convicted him of unlawful possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, imposing a mandatory life sentence for murder and eight years for the firearms offence. Kelly's barrister submitted that statements made during gardaí interviews should be ruled inadmissible, arguing they were not voluntarily given and that fair procedures were breached. Counsel also contended that the trial court should have considered whether the actions taken departed fundamentally from what was planned in the alleged joint enterprise.