Men said they were 'the IRA', threatened to shoot man if he did not drop claim against ex employer, court hears
Two men accused of IRA membership told another man the next time they saw him they would shoot him if he did not drop a claim against a former employer, the Special Criminal Court has heard.
Kevin Braney (44), with an address at Glenshane Crescent, Tallaght, Dublin 24 and Ciaran Maguire (30), of Kippure Park, Finglas, Dublin 11, have both pleaded not guilty to membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Oglaigh na hEireann, otherwise the IRA on August 2nd, 2017.
The threatened man told prosecuting counsel Fiona Murphy BL today that on July 13th last year he was at his home in Meath when he heard "heavy knocking" at the front door.
"I knew by the way they were knocking they were not there to read the meter," he said.
The court heard that the man then went upstairs, looked out the window and saw two men at the door.
He said that they were walking away and he asked them could he help them.
The man told the court that the men then said he had a claim against his former employer and he told them he had a claim against insurance.
The men said that his former employer "does a lot of work for republicans in Portlaoise prison" and told him to call his solicitor and drop the claim and that it was "fraudulent".
The court heard that the men said, "We're the IRA, next time we see you we're going to come down and shoot you".
The man said they then walked away.
The court heard that the previous October the threatened man had been working on a roof when the overhang gave way and he fell off, fracturing his arm, wrist and pelvis.
He said that his employer did not pay his wages and that he put a claim in against him because of hospital bills.
Ms Murphy asked him how he felt after the men said they were IRA members.
"I was shocked after hearing it," the man said.
"Did you believe them?" Ms Murphy asked.
"In a way, yeah," said the man.
Under cross-examination, the man told Sean Carroll SC, for Mr Maguire, that he was not making up the allegation and that he did not feel he had to "escalate" the dispute with his former employer by accusing the two men of saying they were IRA members.
Earlier, the court had admitted into evidence observations made by members of the National Surveillance Unit (NSU). The defence barristers had objected to the evidence.
Last week, NSU members had told the court that they saw Mr Braney and Mr Maguire drive from Dublin to Meath on the day in question.
The trial continues in front of Mr Justice Tony Hunt, presiding, sitting with Judge Gerard Griffin and Judge Flann Brennan.
