A MAN WHO denies assisting Kevin Lunney’s abductors by buying bleach and providing the site where he was imprisoned and beaten, told gardaí, “I have nothing to hide,” when they arrived at his house with a search warrant, the Special Criminal Court has heard.

Luke O’Reilly also told gardaí that he was “definitely not” involved in the dispute over Quinn Industrial Holdings, of which Lunney is a director, and wouldn’t know Kevin Lunney if he met him.

Gardaí arrived at Luke O’Reilly’s home at about 1pm on September 20, 2019, three days after Kevin Lunney had been abducted, tortured and abandoned on a country road.

Sergeant Michael Kearney told Sean Guerin SC for the Director of Public Prosecutions that before gardai said anything to O’Reilly, the accused said: “I know why you are here. Because I bought that bottle of bleach.”

Sergeant Kearney cautioned O’Reilly that he didn’t have to say anything but anything he did say would be taken down and may be used as evidence. O’Reilly replied: “That’s fair enough, I have nothing to hide.”

He told Sergeant Kearney he was happy to make a cautioned, voluntary statement and when told that he could seek legal advice he repeated that he had nothing to hide.

The witness said O’Reilly brought him and a garda colleague into his sitting room and told gardaí that he understood the warrant to search his home. When asked if he understood why gardaí were there he said: “Because I bought the bottle of bleach.”

He told gardaí that his son had gone to the shop but returned without bleach.

O’Reilly said he went to Lynch’s Gala in Killydoon and had to ask the woman working in the shop where to find the bleach.

He said he came home, spent about 15 minutes in his yard, and then brought the bleach into the house. When Sergeant Kearney asked O’Reilly if he knew anything about the false imprisonment of Kevin Lunney, O’Reilly responded: “I seen it on the news. I wouldn’t know the man if I met him.”

The sergeant asked if O’Reilly was “involved in what is happening in the Quinn companies”. He replied: “Definitely not.”

An unnamed man referred to as YZ (40), Alan O’Brien (40), of Shelmalier Road, East Wall, Dublin 3, Darren Redmond (27), from Caledon Road, East Wall, Dublin 3 and Luke O’Reilly (67), with an address at Mullahoran Lower, Kilcogy, Co Cavan have all pleaded not guilty to false imprisonment and intentionally causing serious harm to Mr Lunney at Drumbrade, Ballinagh, Co Cavan on September 17, 2019. The first accused cannot be named by order of the court as he is due to face trial on other, unrelated matters.

The trial continues this afternoon in front of Mr Justice Tony Hunt, Judge Gerard Griffin and Judge David McHugh.