A relative of some of the Mannok directors who committed perjury after claiming to have paid for damage caused to a door of his property by the older brother of Bernard McGovern, has been handed a suspended prison sentence.

Gareth Lunney (36) from Market Square, Derrylin admitted wilfully making a statement he knew to be false, namely that he paid for repairs on March 14 2022.

He appeared in the dock of Dungannon Crown Court sitting in Newry which heard the further twist in the long-running feud between Mannok management, in particular the Lunneys and the McGovern family, some of whom were former employees.

Previously Patrick McGovern from Springdale Road, Kinawley admitted damaging the door belonging to Gareth Lunney, nephew of one the Mannok directors on March 19, 2021, however, he denied threatening to kill him.

The offences occurred on the day Bernard McGovern was jailed for attacking Mannok directors Kevin Lunney and Dara O’Reilly in 2019.

During a contested hearing at Enniskillen Magistrates Court last year, Patrick McGovern accepted being extremely upset by the extent of the sentence handed down to his younger brother and had gone to Lunney’s home and damaged the door.

However, issues arose over Lunney’s evidence when it emerged he had allegedly misled the court in respect of how the damage was caused and the cost of repairs.

During the court hearing, it was claimed Lunney told a repairs contractor in Belcoo that a forklift had driven into the door, and he needed an invoice to present to insurers.

The contractor provided a quote for repairs which Lunney advised the court had been carried out and paid for at a cost of £500.

He produced a document to this effect which was challenged by McGovern’s defence who put it to Lunney he was lying under oath.

It transpired a witness statement provided by the contractor and corroborated by police, detailed how Lunney contacted him on March 23, 2021 asking him to attend to the repairs.

When the contractor didn’t have time, Lunney requested a blank invoice, but this was refused.

During a robust cross-examination, Lunney eventually accepted the repairs were never carried out and the £500 invoice was fraudulent.

The cost of repairs was actually £98.

Giving evidence on his own behalf McGovern accepted being upset on the day in question because of his brother’s sentencing and fully admitted going to the premises and damaging the door.

He was however adamant he had not threatened to kill.

The threat charge was dismissed and he was ordered to pay £98 compensation for the door repairs.

However the issue of the incorrect information given under oath was flagged and the PSNI later advised while no arrest was made at court, “a man was cautioned on suspicion of perjury.”

The court heard Lunney fully accepted what he did was wrong and he had felt “under a degree of pressure” to put forward the information he did.

He regretted what had happened and there were a number of other factors in his personal life at the time including a terminally ill relative who passed away very recently.

Judge Fiona Bagnall said while perjury and providing incorrect information to a court is a very serious matter there was an element of being under pressure in the situation.

She also took into account how Lunney had co-operated with Probation Services for the preparation of a pre-sentence report in which he was forthright and honest.

After considering all aspects, Judge Bagnall said the matter could be dealt with by a sentence of two months custody, suspended for 12 months.