THREE MEN WERE today sentenced for their roles in a cross-border incident in which a man was kidnapped in Co Donegal and shot in the leg with a crossbow in Co Tyrone.

On 4 October, 2020, the PSNI received a report from gardaí that a man had been abducted from his home in Co Donegal, bundled into a vehicle, and driven across the border.

PSNI officers observed the suspect vehicle outside a property in Castlederg in Co Tyrone that same evening.

Castlederg is a small town close to the border with Co Donegal and is around 11 miles from the home of the man who was abducted.

The man was threatened with a chainsaw, shot in the leg with a crossbow for which he required hospital treatment, and the incident in total lasted for around five hours.

PSNI officers carried out a search of the property in Castlederg and the suspect vehicle was seized.

Three men, Sean McCosker, Brendan McShane, and Joseph Martin Mannion, were then arrested and charged.

They pled guilty on 12 June 2023 and were sentenced today.

McCosker, aged 34, was sentenced to five and a half years, with two and a half years to be served in prison and three served on license.

McShane, aged 30, was sentenced to four years and eight months, with two years being served in prison and two years and eight months being served on licence.

Martin, aged 39, was sentenced to three years and eight months, with 18 months to be served in prison and 26 months served on licence.

Speaking after the sentencing today at Newry Crown Court, PSNI Detective Chief Inspector Kerry Brennan described the incident as a “horrific and traumatic ordeal”.

She added: “His ordeal lasted roughly five hours; the fear he must have felt is unimaginable.

“In addition to the physical impact, the ordeal has had a deeply distressing impact on the victim.”

Brennan also thanked gardaí for the “crucial part” it played and remarked that the investigation is an “excellent example of the importance of our partnership work to tackle cross border crime”.

She said today’s sentencing “send a clear message” that the PSNI “will be relentless in our work to bring offenders before the court to be held accountable”.

Meanwhile, Garda Chief Superintendent Goretti Sheridan said that the “continued cross-border cooperation with colleagues in the PSNI has proven instrumental in ensuring those responsible for this crime have been brought to justice”.

She said today’s sentencing “stands as a testament to the dedication of both An Garda Síochána and the PSNI in upholding the law and safeguarding our communities”.