John Gilligan, Sentence to stand
John Gilligan has failed in his appeal against his conviction for drugs offences.
The Court of Criminal Appeal heard his challenge this morning, but decided that his 28-year prison sentence should stand.
The sentence is the longest ever to be handed down in Ireland for such an offence.
Gilligan, who is 51, was convicted by the Special Criminal Court in 2001. He was found not guilty of the murder of journalist Veronica Guerin and of firearms offences.
Last month at the Court of Criminal Appeal, John Gilligan's lawyers repeatedly criticised the finding of the Special Criminal Court that the father of two was the leader of a Dublin based gang that imported and sold cannabis resin.
His legal team claimed their client was convicted and jailed on the basis of evidence that simply was not there.
The State's use of protected witnesses Charles Bowden, Russell Warren and John Dunne formed many of the grounds of appeal last month.
The prosecution team defended the conviction saying there was enough circumstantial evidence to show John Gilligan was the leader of a drugs gang in the 1990s.
Gilligan did not attend the court for today's decision.
