Boxer pleads guilty to assault on businessmen James Bernard McGovern charged with attacking men from father’s former employer
Thu, Mar 11, 2021, 20:50
The court heard the attacks occurred just days after James Bernard McGovern’s father had his employment as a truck driver with Quinn Industrial Holdings terminated. Photograph: Dave Meehan
A medal-winning Fermanagh boxer has pleaded guilty to assaulting two senior local businessmen at a local petrol station in what was described a “misguided and unjustified” attack following the sacking of his father.
James Bernard McGovern (24) appeared before Judge John Aylmer at Cavan Circuit Court on Thursday morning where he was arraigned on charges of attacking Kevin Lunney and Dara O’Reilly, causing them harm, at the Applegreen Service Station, Rakeelan, near Ballyconnell, on February 1st, 2019.
BBC News
By Julian Fowler
Published
image captionBernard McGovern appeared at Cavan Circuit Court on Thursday
A man from County Fermanagh has pleaded guilty to attacking two directors of the former Quinn group of companies.
Bernard McGovern, 24, from Springtown Road in Kinawley, appeared in court in the Republic of Ireland on Thursday.
He admitted attacking Kevin Lunney and Dara O Reilly at a service station in County Cavan on 1 February 2019.
The two directors of Quinn Industrial Holdings, which has since been rebranded Mannok, were having lunch in Ballyconnell when they were attacked.
McGovern, an amateur boxer, punched Mr Lunney up to eight times in the face, leaving the chief operating officer with a broken nose and swollen eye.
James Bernard McGovern arriving at Cavan Circuit Court this morning. A medal-winning Fermanagh boxer has pleaded guilty to assaulting two senior local businessmen at a local filling station in what was described a “misguided and unjustified” attack inspired following the sacking of his dad. James Bernard McGovern (24) appeared before Judge John Aylmer at Cavan Circuit Court this morning (Thursday) where he was arraigned on charges of attacking Kevin Lunney and Dara O Reilly, causing them harm, at the Apple Green Service Station café, Rakeelan, near Ballyconnell, on February 1, 2019. Mr Lunney is the chief operating officer at Mannok, formely Quinn Industrial Holdings, which has manufacturing operations on both sides of the border.
The case was heard at Fermanagh Magistrates Court on Monday, January 25. Court papers show Bernard McGovern (23), from Springtown Road, Kinawley, allegedly committed three separate sets of offences in 2019. Until recently, he was remanded in Castlerea Prison, Co. Roscommon following arrest last June in connection with an attack on Kevin Lunney and Dara O’Reilly – both Mannok directors. This relates to an alleged incident in a Co. Cavan service station in February, 2019. These matters are next due for mention at Cavan Circuit Court in March. Numerous applications for bail were refused, despite McGovern being neither accused nor suspected in the abduction and torture of Mr. Lunney in September, 2019.
A FERMANAGH man is facing multiple allegations of harassing directors and family members of the former Quinn Industrial Holdings, since rebranded Mannok.
Court papers show Bernard McGovern (23) from Springtown Road, Kinawley, allegedly committed three separate sets of offences in 2019.
Until recently, he was remanded in Castlerea Prison, Co Roscommon, following his arrest in June 2020 in connection with an attack on Kevin Lunney and Dara O’Reilly – both Mannok directors.
This relates to an alleged incident in a Co Cavan service station in February 2019, in which Mr Lunney sustained a broken nose while Mr O’Reilly had hot water thrown in his face.