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Strabane man gets life sentence for Burns murder

Thursday, 26 January 2012

Andrew Burns

THE sister of a Strabane man murdered nearly four years ago has sympathised with the family of one of his killers, describing them as "victims".
Michelle Coyle (nee Burns) was speaking yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon, shortly after a 37-year-old bus driver from Strabane was jailed for life by Dublin's Special Criminal Court for the dissident republican murder.
Martin Kelly, from Barrack Street in the town, received a life sentence for the murder of Andrew Burns (27) in February 2008. He was also sentenced to eight years jail for possession of a firearm.
Mr Burns was shot twice in a church car park in Donnyloop, yards from the Tyrone border. The murder, which was linked to the dissident republican group Oglaigh na hEireann, sent shockwaves through communities on both sides of the border.
Kelly had pleaded not guilty to the murder.
A Dublin court heard he was interviewed by officers from Garda and the PSNI at a hotel in Northern Ireland where he admitted to the offences.
Mr Justice Paul Butler, presiding at the non-jury court with two other judges, paid tribute to the Garda investigation into the murder.
During last year's trial, the court heard that Kelly was instructed to bring Burns from his Strabane home to Donnyloop on the cusp of the Donegal border for a punishment shooting.
He drove him to a church car park where three men were waiting in a hedge. A gunman fired at Burns. He ran but was hit by a second, fatal shot.
Hid gun
All three got into Kelly's car and he drove them back across the border, stopping to hide the gun in a hedge.
A Garda superintendent said Kelly had named his accomplices during an interview with gardai. He agreed with a defence counsel that there was "a very real, exceptional, dangerous threat to his life".
The court heard that Kelly would probably have to be exiled from his family and home on his eventual release from prison.
Speaking yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon, surrounded by her elderly parents, Lawrence and Dympna, and siblings, Larry and Jacqueline, Michelle spoke of Martin Kelly's family as "innocent victims".
“We acknowledge that the Kelly family are victims. They are as much victims as ourselves," she told the Strabane Weekly News.
She said the years since Andrew's murder, especially the recent months of the trial, had been a "long ...surreal road". However the Burns family are "hopeful" of further convictions for their brother's murder.
Michelle pointed to carrying on life in her home town, surrounded by "so many memories" of her brother, as one of the most difficult things for the family.
“It [his murder] changed everything. Nothing will ever be the same again," she said.
“Andrew was my best friend. Although he was my younger brother, he was an older brother as such, because he was my protector.
“It really affected us as a family and individually."
The family were due to spend last night together, "going over memories" of Andrew.
“It has been hard to try and grasp everything. It's surreal at the moment," she added yesterday.

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