Charles Bowden was "absolutely terrified" that information he gave to gardai would get back to his criminal associates, the Special Criminal Court heard yesterday in the Gilligan trial for murder.
It heard also that Bowden, a protected witness, told gardai he gave money to John Gilligan - accused of the murder of Veronica Guerin - outside the Gresham Hotel, Dublin.
Mr Michael O'Higgins SC, defence counsel, told the court that the only direct evidence in Bowden's statements to gardai was that he got a call from a man he now knew to be Gilligan about something in a drugs consignment which turned out to be five semi-automatic pistols. Bowden also told gardai he gave money to a man outside the Gresham Hotel and he identified the man as Gilligan.
It was the 10th day of the trial of John Gilligan (48), who has pleaded not guilty to the murder of the Sunday Independent crime reporter Veronica Guerin (37) at Naas Road, Clondalkin, Dublin, on June 26th, 1996.
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.
Det Insp John O'Mahony told the court that Bowden "was very fearful of what he had told us getting back to the criminal gang," in October 1996.