Three men have gone on trial in Belfast charged with the murder of journalist Lyra McKee five years ago.

Paul McIntyre, 56, Peter Cavanagh, 35, and Jordan Devine, 23, all from Londonderry, deny the charges.

The defendants are also accused of possessing a firearm and ammunition and various rioting offences.

Ms McKee, 29, was shot dead while observing a riot in Derry’s Creggan estate in April 2019.

In its opening statement, the prosecution said four shots were fired in the direction of police officers.

Prosecutor David McDowell KC told Belfast Crown Court: “Those shots were the culmination of orchestrated disorder in the area of Fanad Drive and Central Drive, during which police Land Rovers had been attacked with petrol bombs and two stolen vehicles had been set on fire.

“Those gunshots were fired by a masked man standing at the corner…

“The gunman was accompanied to the firing point by a number of men who intentionally encouraged and/or assisted him.

“The prosecution contend that three of those men were Paul McIntyre, Jordan Devine and Peter Cavanagh.”

The court was shown unedited footage from an MTV documentary filmed n the Creggan estate on the day of Ms McKee’s murder.

Presenter Reggie Yates was seen interviewing members of Saoradh, a small political party which denies being the political wing of the New IRA.

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A Crown barrister repeatedly pointed to the clothing worn by those being interviewed and by those allegedly engaged in disorder later in the day.

Another seven men – Joseph Patrick Barr, 36, Jude McCrory, 23, William Elliott, 57, Joseph Anthony Campbell, 23, Patrick Gallagher, 32, Christopher Gillen, 43, and Kieran McCool, 55, are charged with various rioting offences. All deny the charges.

The trial is expected to last at least two months.

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