THREE men have been sentenced over a kidnapping which saw a man taken from his home, driven across the Irish border and attacked with a crossbow in a five-hour ordeal.
On October 3, 2020 PSNI officers received a call from Gardai that a man had been abducted in Donegal, bundled into a vehicle and driven across the border.
Officers located the vehicle outside a property in the Listymore area of Castlederg that same evening and Joseph Martin Mannion, Sean McCosker and Brendan McShane were arrested the following day.
“This was an horrific and traumatic ordeal that the victim experienced,” PSNI Detective Chief Inspector Kerry Brennan said.
“He was taken from his home, before midday on Sunday, October 4, 2020, and driven roughly 11 miles to Castlederg.
“He was threatened with a chain saw, and shot in the leg with a crossbow, causing an injury for which he needed hospital treatment.
“His ordeal lasted roughly five hours; the fear he must have felt is unimaginable.”
The three men were sentenced at Newry Crown CourtThe three men, who pled guilty to kidnapping on June 12, 2023, were sentenced at Newry Crown Court yesterday afternoon (May 29).
McCosker, 34, of Listymore Park in Castlederg, was sentenced to five and a half years for kidnapping in the Republic of Ireland, with two and a half years to be served in prison and three years served on licence.
He was further sentenced to five and a half years for kidnapping occurring in Northern Ireland, with two and a half years to be served in prison and three years served on licence, and two years for wounding, with one year in prison and one year served on licence.
McShane, 30, of Garag Hill in Churchtown, Castlederg, was sentenced to four years and eight months for kidnapping occurring in the Republic of Ireland, with two years to be served in prison and two years and eight months served on licence.
He received a further four years and eight months for kidnapping occurring in Northern Ireland, with two years to be served in prison and two years and eight months served on licence, and 18 months for wounding, with nine months in prison and nine months to be served on licence.
Mannion, 39, of Chestnut Park in Strabane, was sentenced to three years and eight months for kidnapping occurring in the Republic of Ireland, with 18 months to be served in prison and 26 months served on licence.
He was also sentenced to three years and eight months for kidnapping occurring in Northern Ireland, with 18 months to be served in prison and 26 months served on licence, and 12 months for wounding, with six months in prison and six months served on licence.
All the sentences are to be served concurrently.
Det Chf Insp Brennan paid tribute to the bravery of the victim this week, stating: "In addition to the physical impact, the ordeal has had a deeply distressing impact on the victim.
“However, despite the trauma he suffered, the victim co-operated with our investigation from the outset.
“We can only hope that with the passage of time the victim will come to terms with what happened to him.”
He added: "I want to thank our colleagues from An Garda Síochána who played a crucial part.
“This investigation is an excellent example of the importance of our partnership work to tackle cross border crime.”
See More: Donegal, Kidnapping, Northern Ireland
