Kevin Conway murder: accused pair seek further information from PPS on their alleged link to shooting of Lurgan man

Aidan O’Keefe, 27, and Fergal Kane, 53, are jointly accused of the killing carried out at the victim’s home last month.

The pair were due to mount legal bids to be released on bail at Belfast Magistrates’ Court, but their applications were put on hold after defence representatives confirmed they want the Public Prosecution Service to disclose further details.

Barrister JonPaul Shields said: “We have requested additional information from the PPS to allow us to understand the nature of the case against these accused.

“That is being looked at at the moment, but the material isn’t immediately available.”

Mr Conway, 26, was shot multiple times in his flat at Rossnareen Park on January 9.

He had been associated with notorious crime gang The Firm and was on bail for the murder of Shane Whitla in Lurgan in January 2023.

Police have revealed that he was gunned down just minutes after sending his partner a message to say he was relaxing at home on the Playstation.

The killers are believed to have entered the property and opened fire with a shotgun and a pistol.

O’Keefe and Kane, whose addresses in Belfast cannot be reported, also both face a further charge of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life.

The pair allegedly travelled in convoy by van and car to the scene of the assassination, a previous court heard.

Detectives claim they can be connected by CCTV evidence, a vehicle tracking device and registration plate sightings on the night of the murder.

O’Keefe left the Royal Victoria Hospital earlier that evening and drove his Toyota Proace work van through a number of streets in the west of the city before linking up with Kane’s BMW car, according to the police case.

The vehicles allegedly parked up a short distance from the victim’s home before two masked men in dark clothing got out and walked towards the property.

Based on CCTV footage and GPRS tracking data, the van and car then left the area and split up.

Two suspected gunmen were also observed walking on foot in the neighbourhood for a period after the shooting.

Kane’s BMW was seized and forensically examined as part of the investigation. Initial tests revealed three particles indicative of possible cartridge discharge residue were located on the driver’s seat, front passenger footwell and in the boot of the car.

It was claimed that three men made a subsequent attempt to get rid of the work van but were chased off by plain-clothes police officers keeping the vehicle under observation.

A lawyer for O’Keefe and Kane has already challenged the strength of the evidence to connect both accused to the charges.

He argued that number plates cannot be read on some of the relevant recordings and described CCTV footage taken from bus shelters as being of poor quality.

Now the defence is seeking further disclosures from the prosecution before attempting to have the two accused released on bail.

District Judge Steven Keown agreed to adjourn the case for two weeks.