The journalist Veronica Guerin made a car-phone call lasting 18 seconds which was interrupted in mid-sentence just before she was shot in her car, the Special Criminal Court heard yesterday.
Mr Peter Charleton SC, prosecuting, said the last call by the Sunday Independent's crime reporter was recorded. It would be played to the court. The trial has heard previously that the flex of the journalist's car-phone was wrapped around her hand when her body was found in her car on the Naas road.
It was the 20th day of the trial of Mr Brian 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) at Naas Road, Dublin, on June 26th, 1996.
He denies 16 other charges of unlawfully importing cannabis resin on dates between July 1st, 1994, and October 6th, 1996, of unlawfully possessing 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 sub-machinegun, silencer barrel, two magazines, a 9 mm 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 Supt Martin Callanan of the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation said he was given the last bill for Ms Guerin's telephone by her husband, Mr Graham Turley, in July 1996. It recorded calls from June 2nd to June 26th, and the last call was made at 12.54 p.m. and lasted 18 seconds.
Mr Brian Price, a Naas solicitor, said he acted for Ms Guerin in connection with a traffic offence which was dealt with at Naas District Court on June 26th, 1996. He said he met Ms Guerin at the courthouse at 10.30 a.m. and she was standing on the steps of the courthouse when he arrived.
There were 225 cases listed for that day and he remembered telling Ms Guerin, who was seated at the back of the court, that her case would be coming up shortly.
Mr Price said Ms Guerin's case was called about 12.30 p.m. and he said he remembered shaking her hand after it was over and seeing her walk through the door.
Det Garda John Higgins of the Garda Ballistics Section said he reassembled a motorcycle from parts which were recovered by the Garda sub aqua unit from the Liffey. He said there were 24 parts missing from the Kawasaki 500 motorcycle, including indicator lamps, mirrors, handlebars and the rear number plate.
Det Garda Higgins said the motorcycle was taken apart with tools, and some parts had then been cut. Two people were possibly involved in taking the bike apart and it would have taken possibly an hour and a half to do so.
Insp John O'Driscoll said he was driving down Aungier Street towards Dame Street when he stopped behind a blue car at traffic lights at 1.30 p.m. on the day of the murder. He saw Mr Meehan getting out of the car and walking towards Stephen Street Lower.
He said Mr Meehan carried a mobile phone. Insp O'Driscoll said he later took a "test walk" from Stephen Street Lower to Moore Street which took him 10 minutes. The trial continues today.