John Gilligan, the man wanted for the murder of Veronica Guerin, has submitted a new appeal in England to prevent his extradition back to Ireland. The 47-year-old Dublin man is fighting extradition on the grounds that he is to be tried before the Special Criminal Court in Dublin and that there is no similar non-jury court in England. The High Court hearing of the new appeal is set for February 3 next year, but Mr Gilligan has also said that, if he loses in that Court, he will appeal again to the House of Lords.
Mr Gilligan has been in custody in England since his arrest with £330,000 in cash at Heathrow Airport in October 1996. The House of Lords has already rejected an earlier appeal by Mr Gilligan against extradition on the grounds that the murder charge in Ireland did not have a corresponding offence in English law. At Woolwich Crown Court this morning, Judge James Rucker expressed surprise at the fact that Mr Gilligan was able to lodge a second appeal and was not on his way back to Ireland.
