A Dublin man accused of murdering the journalist Veronica Guerin told gardai he was probably with his father at a yard in Pimlico on the day she was shot dead on Naas Road almost three years ago, the Special Criminal Court was told yesterday.
Det Sgt Fergus Treanor said he spoke to Mr Brian Meehan at the apartment block at Clifton Court on the Dublin quays where he lived in July 1996, a month after the murder. He told Mr Meehan he was investigating the murder of Ms Veronica Guerin and asked him if could account for his movements on the day of the murder. Mr Meehan at first said "No", paused for a while and then said he was probably with his father in the yard at Pimlico.
The garda was giving evidence on the fourth day of the trial of Mr Meehan (34), of no fixed abode, and formerly of Clifton Court, Dublin, and Stanaway Road, Crumlin, Dublin, who has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Ms Guerin (36) on June 26th, 1996.
The three judges sitting in the non-jury court have been told that Ms Guerin was hit by six bullets fired from a .357 inch Magnum revolver. The State alleges that Mr Meehan was the driver of the motorcycle from which the pillion passenger shot Ms Guerin dead.
In addition to the murder charge, Mr Meehan denies 16 other charges alleging that he unlawfully imported cannabis resin between July 1st, 1994, and October 6th, 1996, that he unlawfully possessed cannabis resin and that on or about October 3rd, 1996, at Unit 1B, Greenmount Industrial Estate, Harold's Cross, Dublin, he had cannabis resin for sale or supply.
He has also pleaded not guilty to having a Sten sub-machinegun, a silencer barrel, two magazines, a 9mm Agram machine pistol, five Walther semi-automatic pistols, four magazines and 1,057 rounds of assorted ammunition with intent to endanger life at Oldcourt Road, Tallaght, Dublin, between November 10th, 1995, and October 3rd, 1996. Det Sgt Treanor said that after his conversation with Mr Meehan in the lobby of the apartment block on July 21st, 1996, Mr Meehan walked towards a security door, ignoring a request to come back, and went back inside to his apartment.
Det Sgt Trainor said he led gardai to a house at The Paddocks, Navan Road, owned by Mr Charles Bowden, a self-confessed member of the drugs gang behind Ms Guerin's murder who is a State witness in the trial. He said he took possession of a set of keys found on a coffee table, and one of the keys fitted a unit at the Greenmount Industrial Estate in Harold's Cross where gardai discovered cannabis resin.
Garda Michael McElgunn told the court that he and Garda Michael Moran went on three separate journeys on a Kawasaki 550cc motorcycle from the murder scene on Naas Road to a laneway at the rear of a house on Walkinstown Road.
Two of the journeys took place on June 25th, 1997, and lasted four minutes and 20 seconds, and five minutes and 32 seconds. The third motorcycle journey took place on December 2nd, 1998, and lasted seven minutes and 34 seconds. On that journey Garda Moran wore a mobile phone with a hands-free set.
Garda Mc Elgunn said that he and Garda Moran also made a car journey from Greenhills Road through the city to Parnell Street where they parked their unmarked patrol car and walked to Moore Street. This journey took 14 minutes and 56 seconds.
The trial continues today.