Lyra McKee Murder Trial Ends With Three Men Found Not Guilty 2026

Key Points

• The three men accused of murdering journalist Lyra McKee in Northern Ireland more than seven years ago have been found not guilty of murder.
• 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, said it carried out the killing; no defendant was accused of firing the fatal shot.
• Peter Cavanagh, Jordan Gareth Devine and Paul McIntyre faced a joint‑enterprise murder charge; the prosecution argued they accompanied and assisted a lone gunman.
• The defence said much of the prosecution case was based on “pure speculation”.
• Footage from MTV recorded in Derry on the day of the murder was part of the prosecution case, though the MTV crew had left before the shooting took place.
• The prosecution suggested the disorder had been deliberately orchestrated by dissident republicans to coincide with MTV’s presence.
• The non‑jury trial opened in May 2024 and ended in April 2026; it was one of the longest in recent times in Northern Ireland.
• When the not guilty verdicts were read out, there was little or no reaction from the three defendants; they chose not to give evidence.
• Lyra’s sister Nichola Corner said the verdict failed Lyra, her family and Northern Ireland, and condemned the “culture of silence”.
• The Public Prosecution Service said it was satisfied the legal test for prosecution was met but acknowledged the acquittals would be deeply disappointing to Lyra’s family.
• Judge Mrs Justice Smyth said the outcome would bring little comfort to the family and highlighted that the gunman who killed Lyra has never been brought to court.
• Nine men were on trial in total; six others faced charges including rioting, with some found not guilty and two found guilty of lesser offences.
• Séamus Dooley of the National Union of Journalists said it remains a matter of grave concern that no one was charged with the shooting itself.

UK (Liverpool standard) July 03, 2026 – Three men accused of murdering journalist Lyra McKee in Northern Ireland more than seven years ago have been found not guilty, closing a non‑jury trial that has dominated attention in Derry and across the country.

The case centred on the night in April 2019 when Lyra, 29, was shot as she stood near police vehicles watching riots in the Creggan area of Londonderry. The New IRA a dissident republican paramilitary group publicly said it carried out the killing, but the trial did not convict the person who actually fired the shot.

Who Were Charged and What Did the Prosecution Claim?

Peter Cavanagh, 38, of Mary Street in Derry, Jordan Gareth Devine, 25, of Bishop Street, and Paul McIntyre, 58, of Kells Walk faced a joint‑enterprise murder charge. As reported by the prosecution team in the Derry, the case was that the three men accompanied a lone gunman to a firing point on the night Lyra was killed, and encouraged or assisted him.

None of those charged with murder was accused of firing the fatal shot which killed Lyra. The prosecution’s case relied on various materials, including footage from MTV which was recorded in Derry on the day of the murder. However, the MTV camera crew had left the scene before the shooting took place.

During the trial, footage was shown, including conversations between MTV presenter Reggie Yates and a number of the defendants. The prosecution suggested that the disorder which broke out had been deliberately orchestrated by dissident republicans to coincide with the presence of MTV.

How Did the Defence Challenge the Prosecution?

The defence said much of the prosecution case was based on “pure speculation”. All three men denied all of the charges against them and chose not to give evidence during the trial. When the not guilty verdicts were read out, there was little or no reaction from the three defendants.

What Was the Judge’s View of the Outcome?

At the end of the hearing, the judge Mrs Justice Smyth said the outcome of the trial would bring “little, if any, comfort or relief” to the family and friends of Lyra. The judge pointed out that the gunman who killed her has never been brought to court. She added that Lyra McKee was murdered in an act of senseless violence.

The non‑jury trial opened in May 2024 and ended in April 2026. It was one of the longest in recent times in Northern Ireland. In total, nine men were on trial. Between them they faced 52 charges, including rioting, which were all denied. It took the judge more than four hours to read out the verdicts and the reasons behind her conclusions.

How Did Lyra’s Family and the Public Respond?

In the public gallery, friends and relatives of the accused sat on one side, while friends and relatives of Lyra sat on the other. Sara Canning, who was Lyra’s partner, was seated on the front row as the judge delivered her verdicts, but left before the end of the hearing.

Speaking outside court, Lyra’s sister Nichola Corner said the verdict was a “complete and utter shock”. She said the “system has completely failed Lyra, our family and Northern Ireland”.

“Over 150 people have witnessed what happened – not one came forward,” said Nichola. She said the “culture of silence needs to stop”. “This is not over, Lyra said if you’re going to go down – go down fighting.”

What Did the Public Prosecution Service Say?

The Public Prosecution Service said it was

“satisfied that our legal test for prosecution was met and that it was in the public interest to bring the case”.

“The case successfully overcame a number of robust legal challenges during the proceedings,”

the PPS said.

“We recognise that today’s acquittals will be deeply disappointing to Lyra’s family and loved ones,”

the statement added.

What Happened to the Other Defendants?

While three men were accused of murder, six others from Derry faced other charges including rioting.

• Joseph Barr, 38, of Sandringham Drive, was found not guilty of all of the charges he faced.
• Jude McCrory, 28, of Gartan Square, was also found not guilty, as was Patrick Anthony Gallagher, 34, of John Field Place.
• Kieran George McCool, 57, of Ballymagowan Gardens, was found guilty of common assault.
• Joseph Anthony Campbell, 25, of Goshaden Cottages, was found not guilty of the charges he faced.
• Christopher Joseph Gillen, 45, of Balbane Pass, was guilty of possessing and throwing petrol bombs, and riot.

None of the men gave evidence in their defence. All of them denied the charges which they faced. Another defendant, William Patrick Elliott, 58, formerly of Ballymagowan Gardens, Derry, died last year.

Why Has the Journalist Community Expressed Concern?

Séamus Dooley, of the National Union of Journalists, said it “remains a matter of grave concern that no‑one was charged with the shooting of Lyra McKee; the person who pulled the trigger got off scot‑free”.

“In this case, someone has gotten away with the murder of a journalist – just as happened in the case of Martin O’Hagan,”

he said.

“Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with Lyra’s family, partner, and friends at this incredibly difficult and distressing time,” he added.

Background to the Development

Lyra McKee was a 29‑year‑old author and journalist known for her writing on Northern Ireland’s political and social landscape. She was shot in April 2019 while standing near police vehicles in Creggan, Derry, during disturbances linked to dissident republican unrest. The New IRA, a splinter paramilitary group, claimed responsibility for the killing, marking one of the most high‑profile attacks on a journalist in Northern Ireland in recent decades.

The case against Cavanagh, Devine and McIntyre was based on a joint‑enterprise theory, arguing that they did not shoot Lyra themselves but supported and facilitated the gunman. The trial unfolded over nearly two years, becoming one of the longest non‑jury trials in Northern Ireland’s recent history. The prosecution used MTV footage, witness accounts and circumstantial evidence to build its case, while the defence argued that the evidence was insufficient and speculative.

Prediction: How This Development Could Affect Journalists and the Public in Northern Ireland

For journalists working in Northern Ireland, this outcome is likely to deepen unease about safety and accountability. The fact that the gunman remains uncharged and that those accused of supporting him have been acquitted may make some reporters feel that the risk of attacks on journalists is not being adequately addressed by the justice system. The National Union of Journalists has already framed the verdict as a example of how “someone has gotten away with the murder of a journalist”, a message that could reinforce caution among media workers covering sensitive or volatile issues.

For Lyra’s family and for the wider public in Northern Ireland, the acquittals may be seen as a blow to confidence in the ability of the courts to deliver justice in politically charged cases. Nichola Corner’s statement that the system has “completely failed” Lyra and that the “culture of silence needs to stop” reflects a broader frustration that can affect public trust in institutions. If this sense of failure grows, it could lead to more vocal demands for reforms in how cases involving dissident groups and attacks on journalists are investigated and prosecuted, or to increased pressure on political leaders to address the underlying unrest that made such violence possible.