A senior barrister told the Special Criminal Court yesterday that an alleged death threat he heard Mr John Gilligan make to journalist Ms Veronica Guerin on her mobile phone was "still imprinted on my mind".
Mr Felix McEnroy SC has told the court that he heard Mr Gilligan threaten to kill Ms Guerin and to kidnap and rape her son during a conversation on her mobile phone while she was in Mr McEnroy's office.
Mr McEnroy told Mr Gilligan's counsel, Mr Terence McDonald QC, that the conversation was "exceptional".
"Especially the reference to the child. No one in their right mind could forget it. The imprint is still on my mind," he said.
Mr McEnroy said that he had first met Mr Gilligan in 1984 when he was "devilling" at the bar and he had acted for him in 1989. He said he had not met him since 1989 or heard his voice since then.
Asked what was distinctive about Mr Gilligan's voice, Mr McEnroy replied: "Mr Gilligan does not have much in the way of social conversation. When he speaks he knows what he wants to say and, more importantly, he wants you to listen.
"In my experience he has a short fuse and can be explosive. His voice is direct and his voice is clear. You are absolutely clear that he wants you to listen, no doubt about that.
"He has good diction and is well capable of expressing himself. He is very direct in the way he expresses himself. He wants you to listen. This man is unusual. He is quiet, but when he speaks he speaks with a level of intensity that immediately grips you. You will know he is talking to you. When I heard that outburst on the phone I had seen this before and I knew who it was because I had seen that outburst before."
Mr McEnroy was being cross-examined on the fourth day of the trial of Mr Gilligan (48), who has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Sunday Independent crime reporter Veronica Guerin (37) at Naas Road, Clondalkin, Dublin on June 26th, 1996.
He also denies charges that he imported cannabis resin into the State on various dates between July 1st 1994 and October 6th, 1996; that he possessed cannabis resin for sale or supply on the same dates; and that on or about October 3rd 1996, at Greenmount Industrial Estate, Harold's Cross, Dublin, he had cannabis resin for sale or supply.
Mr Gilligan has also pleaded not guilty to possession of a Sten sub-machinegun, a silencer barrel, two magazines, a 9mm Agram machine pistol, five Walther semi-automatic pistols, four magazines and 1,057 rounds of assorted ammunition with intent to endanger life or to enable another person to endanger life at Oldcourt Road, Tallaght, Dublin, between November 10th 1995 and October 3rd 1996.
Mr McEnroy told Mr McDonald that he had been visited by Insp Donal Neill and another garda several times and they told him they were investigating the murder of Veronica Guerin and wanted to interview him. He refused to give them an interview and explained to them about legal professional privilege which covered his dealings with Ms Guerin, who was his client.
Mr McEnroy said that he prepared a statement for the gardai after he received a letter through McCann Fitzgerald solicitors from Mr Graham Turley, the late Ms Guerin's husband, waiving privilege and requesting him to co-operate with the gardai. He said he sought advice from the then chairman of the Bar Council, Mr James Nugent SC, who had directed him to make a statement to the gardai.
Mr McEnroy denied suggestions by Mr McDonald that he had copied parts of Ms Guerin's statement of complaint to the gardai concerning the telephone conversation into his own statement to the gardai.
He also denied a suggestion that Mr Gilligan had not called Ms Guerin on her mobile phone while she was in his office.
Mr McEnroy also denied that Independent Newspapers had provided him with a copy of a letter Ms Guerin had written to Mr Gilligan on September 7th, 1995, seeking to interview him about an equestrian centre.
He said he remembered spending a day with Mr Gilligan in 1989 at the Four Courts because it was an important case and he had drafted a crucial affidavit in the case himself.
Supt Tom Gallagher told the court that he took a statement from Ms Guerin on September 15th, 1995, at Coolock Garda Station and that summonses were later issued against Mr Gilligan alleging assault and criminal damage.
The trial continues.