The Special Criminal Court has given the man accused of murdering Veronica Guerin free legal aid. The court was told that all of John Gilligan’s assets in Ireland have been frozen since November 1997 and that if further assets came to light, it is likely that they would also be frozen. Peter Charton, Senior Council, said that the prosecution would prefer not to outline any information in relation to any investigation into Mr Gilligan’s assets at this stage and therefore does not oppose the application.
In a hearing that lasted less than ten minutes, he was granted free legal aid by the three judges of the Special Criminal Court. The decision follows a failed attempt by Mr Gilligan last month to represent himself. Mr Justice Kevin O' Higgins allowed Mr Gilligan two seniors and one junior counsel to defend him when his trial begins in October. The 48-year-old Dublin man was remanded in custody to appear again at the Special Criminal Court on the June 26, when the defence may make applications for disclosure and severance.
In a separate development, Kevin Meehan, the father of Brian Meehan, who is serving a life sentence for the murder of Veronica Guerin, has been convicted of money laundering offences involving sums of over £90,000. However, the Special Criminal Court was not satisfied that the State had established that 61-year-old Meehan was aware that the money derived from drug trafficking. His brother Thomas Meehan, of Dunmore Park, Ballymount in Dublin, had already admitted handling bank drafts and cash involving sums close to £300,000. Both men will be sentenced by the court on Wednesday.
