Exclusion of CCTV footage would be 'manifestly contrary to maintenance of social order', State tells Lunney trial

The State has opposed defence applications to exclude CCTV evidence from the trial of four men accused of abducting and assaulting Quinn Industrial Holdings director Kevin Lunney. The Special Criminal Court heard that Sean Guerin SC, counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions, argued that preventing prosecutors from using lawfully obtained CCTV footage would be "manifestly contrary to the maintenance of social order". Mr Guerin rejected defence suggestions that the footage could have been edited or tampered with, characterising such claims as fanciful and preposterous. Three men have pleaded not guilty to false imprisonment and intentionally causing serious harm to Mr Lunney at Drumbrade, Ballinagh, County Cavan on 17 September 2019. An unnamed fourth man and Alan O'Brien have sought to have the CCTV evidence ruled inadmissible, citing constitutional privacy rights and data protection concerns. The trial continues before Mr Justice Tony Hunt and two other judges.