Man jailed for part in attack that had victim begging to be shot

A man acting as the “brawn” in a gang who claimed to be dissident republicans and who beat a businessman so severely that he asked to be shot to end his ordeal, has been jailed by the Special Criminal Court.

The court heard that Mayo businessman Edward McAndrew was beaten with iron bars and threatened by a group of men demanding money in Omeath, Co Louth, in 2017. The men told Mr McAndrew that they were members of the Continuity IRA and falsely imprisoned him in the boot of a car.

Mr McAndrew had been lured to Omeath by the gang on the pretence that they had some plant machinery to sell him.

On Tuesday, Anthony Finglas (49) of Havelock Place, Warrenpoint, Co Down, was sentenced by the non-jury court after he pleaded guilty to demanding money with menaces from Mr McAndrew at One Ferry Hill, Cornamucklagh, Omeath, Co Louth, on December 2nd, 2017.

The offence comes under the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act of 1994 and carries a maximum punishment of 14 years.

A previous hearing heard that at Cornamucklagh, three males, two of whom had iron bars while another brandished a knuckle-duster, attacked Mr McAndrew.

In a statement to gardaí­, Mr McAndrew said the men began to “batter” him about the head, body and legs while demanding money.

The PSNI and gardaí co-operated in a search of Finglas’ house in Warrenpoint, where they found Mr McAndrew’s phone, which Finglas had been using. Mr McAndrew’s phone had a contact list that included the number of his daughter, the court has heard.

Presiding judge Mr Justice Tony Hunt on Tuesday jailed Finglas for four years and nine months for his part in the attack.

Mr Justice Hunt said that Mr McAndrew had asked the men to shoot him “as he wanted it to be all over”.