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Lyra McKee verdict a 'kick in the teeth', says murdered journalists partner

Sara Canning said she hopes the 29-year-olds killer is haunted "every waking minute"

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Lyra Mckee's partner Sara Canning outside Belfast Crown Court

The verdict in the murder trial of Lyra McKee was a "kick in the teeth" to her loved ones, the journalists partner has said.

Sara Canning said she hopes the 29-year-olds killer is haunted "every waking minute".

Ms McKee died after being hit by a bullet as she stood close to police vehicles while observing disturbances in the Creggan area of Derry on April 18 2019.

Paul McIntyre, 58, of Kells Walk in Derry, Peter Cavanagh, 38, of Mary Street, and Jordan Gareth Devine, 25, of Bishop Street, faced a joint enterprise murder charge.

On Friday, Judge Mrs Justice Smyth found all three not guilty of murder in the long-running non-jury trial at Belfast Crown Court due to insufficient evidence in the prosecution case against the men, which was wholly circumstantial.

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Journalist Lyra McKee who was shot dead in Derry as she was covering rioting in the city(Image: PhotopressBelfast.co.uk)

Ms Canning described the moment she left the courtroom as the third not guilty verdict for murder was read.

She told BBCs Good Morning Ulster: "Weve gone through a full two years of a trial, and from watching the evidence, most of us felt like it was probably a done deal.

"We felt like we were going to be coming out of there having some degree of justice, and instead we came up with nothing, which is just a kick in the teeth."

She added: "The first not guilty came for murder, and if Im honest, I wasnt surprised.

"Then the next not guilty came, so I sat until the last not guilty for murder came up, and then I left, because at that point there was nothing left for me to care about, thats the way that I look at it, so I left the courtroom at that point.

"Gutted is the main word, because youre buoyed up with hope for that time, you have two years where youre just so hopeful, and then its completely dashed and taken away."

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The congregation arrive for the funeral service of journalist Lyra McKee at St Annes Cathedral on April 24, 2019 in Belfast, Northern Ireland(Image: Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)

Ms Canning said the case was "a massive waste of two years of our lives".

"It didnt bring Lyra any closer to justice," she said.

"In fact, the reality is now, unless massively new and compelling evidence comes out, we will never be able to take a case against them."

The prosecutions case was that the three men accused of murder had accompanied a lone gunman on the night Ms McKee was killed and encouraged or assisted him.

The New IRA claimed responsibility for the death of Ms McKee, but the gunman who shot her has never been brought before court.

Ms Canning said: "For me there was always something in the back of my head that the gunman isnt on the stand.

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Flowers remain at the spot where Lyra McKee was killed in Creggan, Derry, on the morning of her funeral(Image: Aoife Moore/PA Wire)

"We were told from the beginning that the evidence on the gunman wasnt sufficient enough to bring charges."

Ms Canning said she knows what the gunman "looks like, I know what his family looks like", adding: "I could pass him in the street".

Asked for her message for the man who killed Mc McKee, the journalists partner said: "What you did was, you took the life of somebody who has contributed more to this world than you ever will.

"She had more integrity in her wee finger than you will ever possess and you should be ashamed and I hope it haunts your every waking minute.

"I hope you cant sleep at night, and I hope you know that even if the long finger of the law doesnt catch up to you, karma will.

"You will be dealt with at some point, and it wont be by me, because I am not that kind of person.

"I dont possess the hate and the evil in me to hurt people the way that you do, but youll get it in the long grass.

"Its coming your way, youll suffer for it if you arent already."

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