Protected witness Russell Warren broke down and wept today as he described the murder of journalist Veronica Guerin to the Special Criminal Court.
Warren wept under cross examination as he told the court: "I only drove the woman to her death. I only sent the woman to her death."
The court adjourned for five minutes to allow Warren to compose himself and when he returned to the witness box he told the three judges: "I am very sorry about that."
Cross examined by Mr Terence Mc Donald QC, counsel for murder accused John Gilligan, Warren said that after stopping four cars behind Ms Guerin's red Opel Calibra car at traffic lights on the Naas Road he saw the pillion passenger on a motorbike fire five shots into her car.
Asked how he felt after seeing this, Warren replied: "I was shocked. My stomach was in bits. I just wanted to get out."
Warren said he thought he opened the door but did not get out and he told Mr Mc Donald that he "probably" wanted to help Ms Guerin as a number of other people did.
"Something just clicked in my head and I said I better get out of here. It felt like ages, Everything was in slow motion," he added.
Asked what had clicked in his head, Warren replied: "I realised what I was after doing, after helping to murder somebody."
Warren said that he drove off up a slip road and through Clondalkin and then back to the M 50 and then he phoned John Gilligan. He said that later that day he met a friend and went for a drink to a pub in Rathgar where they watched football and placed bets.
It was the fifteenth day of the trial of John Gilligan (48), who has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Sunday Independentcrime reporter Veronica Guerin (37) at Naas Road, Clondalkin, Dublin on June 26th, 1996.
Gilligan also denies fifteen other counts alleging the importation of cannabis and firearms and ammunition offences.
The prosecution has claimed that John Gilligan was "in control and command" of a criminal gang that imported and distributed large amounts of cannabis and that he organised the murder of Ms Guerin.