Lawyers defending John Gilligan in the murder trial of journalist, Veronica Guerin, have begun their closing arguments at the Special Criminal Court. The defence submission is expected to last several days. Senior Counsel Michael O'Higgins said that the manner in which evidence was gathered from protected witnesses, Russell Warren and Charles Bowden, contained such inherent dangers as to make it unsafe. He said that both men were courted by Gardaí and this raised serious questions about the Garda investigation into Veronica Guerin's murder on 26 June 1996.
The defence lawyers said that Russell Warren was a soft-spoken, fumbling man who had spent five days in the witness box and appeared eager to please. However, he said that he had also demonstrated himself to be a despicable liar, devious and cool under pressure. He said that Mr Warren had committed adultery on his wife with his best friend's girl, which he described as a double whammy. Mr Higgins said that it was wrong that a man involved in criminal activity was recruited by Gardaí to pass on information and walked free without a charge to his name.
Moving on to Charles Bowden, the defence lawyer described him as being far more intelligent and astute than Russell Warren. He said that he was a crackshot and qualified sniper from his days in the army and held a black belt in karate, but he said that he abused his martial arts skills by beating up younger recruits. The court had heard previously that Mr Bowden left the Army and drifted into drug dealing after falling behind on his alimony payments. However, defence counsel argued that his illegal earnings kept him in the lifestyle he aspired to. He said that he had painted a scenario of a decent man spiralling into a life of crime to support his addiction.
But the defence lawyer said that Charles Bowden had re-commenced his education and went to the gym regularly. He said that it would be hard to find a greater antithesis of a pallid junkie than someone working out.
Michael Higgins SC said that on the day before Veronica Guerin was murdered, Mr Bowden was at the criminal gang headquarters in Harold's Cross in Dublin polishing his magnum. But he said that despite his best efforts, Charles Bowden's movements on 26 June 1996 are still not accounted for.
Yesterday, a prosecution lawyer told the Special Criminal Court that John Gilligan was the leader of a drugs gang who played a major role in a pre-arranged plan to shoot Ms Guerin. Mr Eamon Leahy, SC, said that it was not the prosecution's contention that Mr Gilligan was present at the Naas Road shortly before 1pm on 26 June when Ms Guerin was shot dead. He said it was their contention that he played a leading part in a pre-arranged plan and was, therefore, complicit in the murder and guilty in law.
