State witness Charles Bowden told the Special Criminal Court yesterday that Mr Brian Meehan, who is accused of murdering journalist Veronica Guerin, was a leading member of a drugs gang that imported huge quantities of cannabis over a two-year period.
Bowden, who is serving a six-year sentence for drugs and firearms offences, said Mr Meehan had given him money to rent a lock-up premises at Harold's Cross in Dublin and from there the gang distributed up to 500 kg of cannabis a week. He also said Mr Meehan brought him to a Jewish cemetery in Tallaght and showed him two graves used by the gang to store guns and ammunition that were smuggled in with the drugs.
The court heard that Bowden (34), who is in the Witness Protection Programme, had been granted "unconditional and irrevocable" immunity from prosecution for the murder of Ms Guerin by the Director of Public Prosecutions.
It was the 11th day of the trial of Mr Meehan (34), of no fixed abode and formerly of Clifton Court and Stanaway Road, Crumlin, Dublin, who has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Ms Guerin at Naas Road, Clondalkin, Dublin on June 26th, 1996.
Mr Meehan also denies 16 other charges alleging that he unlawfully imported cannabis resin into the State on various dates between July 1st, 1994 and October 6th, 1996; that he had cannabis resin for sale or supply on the same dates; 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 submachine gun, 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.
Bowden, from Finglas, Dublin and a father of three, told the court he served in the Defence Forces from 1983 to 1989 and had been a shooting champion, a karate champion and had served in the Lebanon. He was reduced from the rank of corporal before leaving for a disciplinary offence.
In 1991 and 1992 he was a bouncer in a north Dublin pub when he met a man who can be identified only as Mr D and he began holding ecstasy tablets for him.
Bowden said he himself had about a dozen clients he supplied with cannabis until his arrest in October 1996. On eight or 10 occasions, weapons and ammunition, including submachine guns, five semi-automatic pistols and hundreds of rounds of ammunition came in with the drugs.
Earlier John Dunne (43), who is serving a three-year sentence for importing cannabis and who is in the Witness Protection Programme, told the court he thought at first that the consignments he brought into Cork from Holland for an alleged drugs gang leader, Mr A, were tobacco. He said he became worried in 1996 when newspaper articles identified Mr A as involved in drugs dealing.
Cross examined by Mr Anthony Sammon SC, defending, Dunne said the rates he was paid by Mr A for arranging the shipments were "very, very high" and he presumed it had to be contraband but he had hoped it was tobacco. He said he had never looked in to any of the packages.
Dunne said he had been visited in prison several times this year by gardai involved in the Guerin investigation, including Assistant Commissioner Tony Hickey, but he denied they had discussed his evidence in the Meehan trial. Dunne said the visits were "social" and when asked if he had struck up friendships with the gardai he replied: "Unfortunately maybe, but yes".
He said he had received between £50,000 and £60,000 from Mr A and had paid the freight costs himself. He had put £25,000 in a building society account in Cork and had also put money into his current account. He said he had spent all the money as he had been sacked from his job shortly after he was charged with drugs offences.
The gardai had not moved to seize his money and he said he had spoken to the Criminal Assets Bureau but it had done nothing about his money. Dunne said his release date was April 13th, 2001 and he would "gladly" take temporary release if it was offered.
The trial continues today.