The Special Criminal Court has ruled that it will go ahead with deciding whether convicted drugs dealer John Gilligan benefited from drugs trafficking.
The court yesterday rejected a final legal challenge by Gilligan's counsel, Mr Michael O'Higgins SC, to the application by the State to confiscate more than £14 million of Gilligan's assets. Following the court's ruling, Mr O'Higgins applied for time to study the judgment. The court adjourned the application until today. The State is seeking to confiscate £14.2 million which it alleges were Gilligan's profits from importing 20,000 kg of cannabis into the State over a two-year period. The court has heard that the State wants the High Court to appoint a receiver to realise Gilligan's assets which allegedly include an equestrian centre at Jessbrook, two houses in Lucan, a house in Blanchardstown, six vehicles, 16 bank accounts and more than £5 million in bets. Gilligan is serving a 28-year prison sentence for importing cannabis. Gilligan (49), with addresses at Corduff Avenue, Blanchardstown, Dublin, and Jessbrook Equestrian Centre, Mucklon, Enfield, Co Kildare, was convicted on March 15th of 11 offences of unlawfully importing cannabis. He was cleared of the 1996 murder of journalist Veronica Guerin.