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Quinn Executive Kevin Lunney abducted, assaulted and left on roadside

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Wednesday, 18 September 2019 09:21

By Grainne Connolly X @grainne555

by Q Radio News and PA reporter

The chief operating officer of Quinn Industrial Holdings has been abducted and seriously assaulted before being dumped at the side of the road in Co Cavan.

The PSNI are investigating after 50-year-old businessman Kevin Lunney was taken from his home in Derrylin, County Fermanagh, at around 6.40pm on Tuesday evening.

Mr Lunney was seriously assaulted before being left across the border at the side of the road at Drumcoughill, Cornafean, Co Cavan.

He was discovered by local residents just before 9pm and was brought to hospital with serious injuries to his face and leg.

Quinn Industrial Holdings (QIH) said Mr Lunney's and an unknown car were found ablaze in a road near his family home shortly before 7pm on Tuesday evening.

"Mr Lunney sustained a broken leg and range of other very severe, but non-life threatening injuries, for which he is being treated in a nearby hospital," a spokesperson said.

QIH chairman Adrian Barden said that the incident was an "outrageous attack on a hard-working father of six children".

"For several hours last evening, Kevin's wife, family and very many friends were left to contemplate the worst.

"Like many of his colleagues I am frustrated and angry that more has not been done to protect Kevin, who will require some considerable time to recover from the very severe injuries sustained in this brutal attack.

"We have previously warned of the inevitability of serious injury and loss of life arising from these sustained and increasingly serious criminal attacks.

"We are now calling for the police authorities north and south to act quickly and decisively to prevent an inevitable loss of life by bringing those responsible to justice."

Meanwhile, at a press conference in Enniskillen, PSNI Superintendent Clive Beatty said Mr Lunney was arriving home when his vehicle was rammed by another vehicle and disabled.

"Mr Lunney locked himself in the vehicle but four masked men appeared, smashed the windows of Mr Lunney's vehicles, forcibly removed him from the vehicle and bundled him into the boot of a black Audi saloon and drove him away from his home," he said.

"They drove for a period of time to an unknown location whereupon he was removed from the vehicle and savagely beaten about the body.

"He sustained severe and brutal injuries to his legs, torso and face. After this savage attack he was then bundled into another vehicle and driven for another short period of time and then he was dumped on the side of the road just outside Cavan to fend for himself with his severe injuries."

Mr Beatty said the incident was the "most severe and savage" of the recent series of attacks on the company and its executives.

"We are at a very early stage of our investigation and we are keeping an open mind at this time but this has been an ongoing situation in that area for some time, police are well aware of the complexities and difficulties that this has had however we are using all our force and might to bring to justice those people who are committing offences in that area and against this company," he said.

The superintendent was challenged why the police had yet to make one arrest in relation to the attacks in recent years.

"There are a number of lines of enquiry still ongoing about crimes that have been committed over the last two years," said the officer.

"Those are still very much live investigations and I can't discuss any further on our actions on that."

He added: "This is the most severe and savage attack that has been to date at this particular company or area and we are keeping an open mind as to who or what is behind this."

Mr Beatty said there had been an additional police presence around the company's premises over the last two days, as a board of directors conference was being held.

He said Mr Lunney had been left with "life changing" injuries.

"We have briefly spoken to Mr Lunney, he was able to tell us some information but his injuries are severe and savage," said the officer.

"Although not life threatening, they will be definitely life changing and he is assisting us with the enquiry as much as he can."

Meanwhile, there has been widespread condemnation of the attack from political representatives. 

Fermanagh and South Tyrone MP, Michelle Gildernew described it as a "horrific" assault which has caused disgust in the wider community. 

In a tweet, DUP leader Arlene Foster condemned the assault, and said it was "totally abhorrent".

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