Three jailed for Donegal kidnapping that saw man threatened with chainsaw and shot with crossbow

Sean McCosker, Brendan McShane and Joseph Martin Mannion were sentenced at Newry Crown Court on Wednesday.

The trio were apprehended after the PSNI received a report from An Garda Síochána on October 4, 2020, that a man had been abducted in Donegal, bundled into a vehicle and driven across the border.

Working closely with An Garda Síochána, Derry City & Strabane officers observed the suspect vehicle outside a property in the Listymore area of Castlederg.

A search of a property was carried out and the suspect vehicle was seized. Mannion, McCosker and McShane were arrested and subsequently charged on November 5, 2020. They pled guilty on June 12, 2023 and were sentenced on Wednesday.

Detective Chief Inspector Kerry Brennan, from the PSNI’s Criminal Investigation Branch, said: “This was an horrific and traumatic ordeal that the victim experienced. 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 chainsaw, 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.

"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.

"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.”

McCosker, aged 34, of Listymore Park, Castlederg, was sentenced to five and a half years for kidnapping, occurring in the Republic of Ireland, with two and a half years to be served in prison and three years served on licence; five and a half years for kidnapping occurring in NI, 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, aged 30, of Garag Hill, Castlederg, was sentenced to four years and eight months for kidnapping occurring in the RoI, with two years to be served in prison and two years and eight months served on licence; four years and eight months for kidnapping occurring in NI, 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, aged 39, of Chestnut Park, Strabane, was sentenced to three years and eight months for kidnapping occurring in the RoI, with 18 months to be served in prison and 26 months served on licence; three years and eight months for kidnapping occurring in NI, 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 sentences are to be served concurrently.