A witness in the Catherine Nevin trial has given evidence of a plot he says Mrs Nevin outlined to kill her husband, Tom. The witness, Gerry Heaps, said that Mrs Nevin suggested that he shoot her husband in her presence outside a County Meath pub. He also said that he had told friends about the plot, saying what he called "this lunatic" was going to "bump off" her husband.
Former provisional IRA man Gerry Heapes claims that Catherine Nevin had up to twelve conversations with him about having him shoot her husband. One plan involved Mr Heapes shooting Tom Nevin when he left a pub in County Meath. Catherine Nevin said that she would be with him and that it would look great if Tom was to die in her arms. She suggested that Mr Heapes would shoot him, then take his car keys and make off with the pub takings which would be in the car boot. Mr Heapes said that Catherine Nevin told him there would be up to £25,000 after a bank holiday weekend.
Mr Heapes said that he thought it was a sick proposal and their contact ended when she realised he was just making excuses to put her off. He claimed they met again sometime in the 1990s when he and a friend visited Jack White's Inn to con money from her, a couple of grand, but at that time Mrs Nevin said everything was grand between her self and her husband and she did not want anything done.
Mr Heapes said that he told friends in a pool hall he frequented that what he called this lunatic was going to bump off her husband. Defence Counsel Paddy McEntee pressed Mr Heapes on exactly who he had told. Mr Heapes thought it was “Macker” and “Redser” in the pool hall. He did not have real names. Mr Heapes, a former member of an IRA active service unit, did not consider going to the Gardaí. He said he was just intrigued at the way Catherine Nevin was going on.
Counsel for Mrs Nevin put it to him that none of these matters occurred. Mr Heapes replied that everything he said in court was true.
