The man accused of murdering journalist Veronica Guerin told detectives he would not "take the rap" for her murder, the Special Criminal Court heard yesterday. The court was told that Mr Paul Ward told gardai his role was to allow his house to be used by the men who carried out the murder. Mr Ward's lawyers are challenging verbal admissions he allegedly made to gardai while in custody at Lucan Garda station in October 1996. The court also al lowed Mr Ward's legal team access to two files relating to Charles Bowden, a prosecution witness who is under the witness protection programme.
Mr Paul "Hippo" Ward (34), Walkinstown Road, Dublin, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Ms Guerin (36), a mother of one, at the Naas Road, Clondalkin, Co Dublin, on June 26th, 1996. The prosecution has claimed Mr Ward was one of the gang which planned and carried out the killing and that he disposed of the murder weapon and the motorcycle. In court yesterday, Mr Edward Comyn SC, for the Attorney General said there were two files relating to Bowden to which the defence could have access, with one caveat - the names and mobile telephone numbers of gardai involved in the witness protection programme should not be disclosed. These officers were concerned with other people and were supervising their movements and this would be "very sensitive".
Bowden had been in custody since March 1997 and it would take prison authorities two days to prepare a list of people who had visited him. Mr Ward's lawyers were allowed access to the files on Bowden after receiving assurances from his counsel, Mr Barry White, that the utmost care would be ta ken with sensitive information.
Det Garda James Hanley said Mr Ward told him and Det Garda Tom O'Shea during an interview on October 18th, 1996, that he had been asked only to look after the motorbike and gun used in the murder, and that he had to get rid of the gun. Asked about the bike, he said: "I got that offside too."
He was told gardai believed there was a plan to kill Ms Guerin and that the killing was ordered by a man who was named in court but cannot be identified by order of the court. Mr Ward replied: "My part was to let them use my house after the shooting. They came with the bike and the gun." He named two men, who cannot be identified by order of the court, and added that gardai knew about them already.
When he was asked to make a full statement at Lucan Garda station, Mr Ward replied: "Are you mad? I am f. . . ed up enough. Charge me with taking the gun and the bike for them, but I won't take the murder rap." Asked about drugs found by the gardai, he replied: "I will plead to that and the guns in the graveyard. I'll get 10 years. I know that."
Mr Ward then asked about his girlfriend, Ms Vanessa Meehan, and if she was still in custody. He was asked by gardai if he was involved in the shooting of Ms Guerin and he replied: "No. I was in the house all morning. I had a scanner. I heard the call go out about a shooting on the Naas Road. When I heard this I knew the bike would be here."
Det Garda Hanley said Mr Ward made no reply when he was asked if the motorbike recovered by gardai from the Liffey was the one used in the murder.
After former Garda John O'Neill was brought in to see him in the interview room, Mr Ward said: "F. . . off. There was no need to do that. He didn't tell me f. . . all about the murder. The money is his f. . .ing problem. I am saying nothing else to you." Det Garda Hanley said Mr Ward was upset and agitated afterwards; he was asked to sign notes of the interview and refused. They were signed by the gardai present.
Det Garda Hanley said Bow den had volunteered to take gar dai to a cemetery off the Oldcourt Road in Tallaght, where guns and ammunition were found in a grave on October 7th, 1996.
He denied he had told Ms Meehan that the gardai were not interested in her or Mr Ward and that if she asked Mr Ward where the gun was, they would let both of them go home. He also denied he had been "aggressive" towards either Ms Meehan or Mr Ward.
The trial continues today.