Blood samples belonging to Kevin Lunney were found at a premises and in a vehicle linked to his abduction and assault, the Special Criminal Court has heard.

Four men accused of assaulting and falsely imprisoning the Quinn Industrial Holdings executive pleaded not guilty at a hearing on Wednesday. Luke O’Reilly, Darren Redmond, Alan O’Brien and a fourth man who cannot be named for legal reasons have all denied the charges.

Mr Lunney was abducted close to his home in Co. Fermanagh on the evening of September 17 2019.

The businessman had his leg broken, was doused in bleach and the letters QIH were carved into his chest before he was dumped on a roadside in Co. Cavan.

Sean Guerin, SC for the Director of Public Prosecutions, told the court his contention that the unnamed accused, Mr. O’Brien and Mr Redmond used a silver Renault Kangoo, with the UK registration number YS57PYU, to travel from Dublin to Cavan, for the purposes of the attack.

He said that CCTV footage and phone records would establish that the car journeyed from Dublin to Cavan on September 16 and 17.

The Renault Kangoo, with distinctive red lightning bolts printed on either side, was recovered by Gardai the following month. Bloodstains were identified behind the driver’s seat and in the interior of the sliding door at the side of the vehicle.

The presence of the blood DNA profile taken from the door matched that of a sample provided by Mr. Lunney, the court heard.

Evidence will show the blood sample taken from the driver’s seat matches that of Mr Redmond, Mr. Guerin said. It is not the prosecution’s case that Mr. Lunney was in that vehicle at any stage.

But Mr. Guerin said it could be “readily understood” that any person involved in the attack could have carried the blood into the van. He said the presence of the blood is “powerful evidence” to connect the people who travelled in the vehicle to Mr. Lunney.

Gardai also obtained a search warrant for the property where Mr. Lunney was assaulted, land which is registered to Luke O’Reilly. A blue horsebox was found, which appeared to have been moved recently. Swabs found blood samples matching Mr Lunney’s.

Mr. Guerin told the court the movements of the Kangoo, and the presence of Mr Lunney’s blood, suggest it was used by his attackers to travel from Dublin to Cavan for the purpose of committing the offences. The prosecution described in harrowing detail the events of September 17 2019.

Mr. Guerin told the court how Mr Lunney drove up the laneway to his home on the day of the attack. He noticed another car in the laneway in front of him. Two men in balaclavas appeared and ran towards him, took him from his vehicle and overpowered him. A third man arrived in a black car, an Audi A4A6 model.

He was described by Mr. Lunney in his evidence to Gardai as being older and heavier than the other two. The man was armed with a Stanley-type knife. Mr. Lunney was bundled into the boot of the car and was unable to escape due to the speed the car was driving at, the court heard.

After a short period, the car stopped, and Mr. Lunney was taken out, struck with a blunt object and put back in the boot. Mr. Lunney described to police hearing a phone call made by the driver of the car to someone he assumed to be in charge of the abduction.

The driver said: “Boss, this man resisted, we had to hit him.”

Mr. Lunney was taken to a place a short distance away from his home. His head was covered and he was led from the car towards two containers, one of which was blue. He was placed on the steel floor of the container, and threatened with a knife. The businessman was told he was there because of Quinn Industrial Holdings, and that he had to resign, along with other named members of the board.

Mr. Lunney was told to stop his involvement in ongoing court cases. His abductors said he had been watched for a period of six weeks, and references were made to his children. They told him they would not kill him, as long as he did what they said.

Afterwards, the abductors used the Stanley-type knife to cut underneath his fingernails.

One of the men suggested using bleach, and after a short discussion, two of them left, leaving Mr Lunney alone with one other man for around 20 minutes. When the men returned, a thick liquid smelling strongly of bleach was poured on his hands, and later over his body and under his face covering.

He was again told to resign. The men told him he would be let go, but that he would have to be “roughed up” first. Mr. Lunney was then hit in the legs with a blunt instrument. Medical records will provide evidence of the leg breaking, Mr. Guerin told the court.

One of the men asked “did that snap?”, another replied: “It didn’t,” and Mr Lunney was struck again. Each time he was struck, Mr, Lunney was told: “You’re going to resign.”

A knife was then taken to his chest, his clothing having already been removed, and one of the men said “QIH” as it was carved into his chest, the court heard.

After around 40 minutes in total, Mr. Lunney was taken back to the van. He was again told to resign, and warned not to contact Gardai. The businessman was warned that if there was “any mention of a gang of Dubs and we’ll be back”.

Mr. Lunney was left face down in a ditch as the men fled the scene, and struggled along the road for some distance until he was assisted by some passers-by.

The court is to hear from more than 250 witnesses in a trial that is expected to last 12 weeks.