The Court of Criminal Appeal has reserved judgment on an appeal by a former Irish Army corporal against his conviction for IRA membership. During Martin Kelly's trial it was claimed that Kelly and another man had demanded money from a Dublin businessman in order for the Continuity IRA to "protect" a lapdancing club.
Kelly (47), Westpark, Artane, Dublin, was convicted by the non-jury Special Criminal Court (SCC) last November of membership of the IRA on July 29th, 2002, and jailed for four years. Another man pleaded guilty to the membership charge and was also sentenced to four years, but with six months suspended because of family circumstances.
The SCC was told that both men had demanded the money from a Dublin businessman to protect his lap-dancing club, Bunnies, at Crown Alley, Dublin.
It was claimed that Kelly's accomplice had demanded €50,000 for the Continuity IRA to allow the lap-dancing club to operate in Temple Bar, and that €15,000 was handed over to both men before they left the club.
Moving the appeal yesterday, counsel for Kelly, who denies membership of the IRA, said his client had answered all the questions put to him when interviewed by gardaí whereas the norm was that no answers were given by IRA members when questioned.
Kelly had also told the SCC he had never been sworn into an illegal organisation, adding: "I have no political views whatsoever; I couldn't give a damn."
He denied there was any discussion of money at a meeting in a pub in Temple Bar with the manager of a lapdancing bar.
The SCC was told Kelly had joined the Defence Forces when he was 19, qualified as a carpenter and became a corporal in the engineering section. He served six tours of duty in Lebanon.