Evidence in Meehan murder trial concludes

Evidence in the trial of Mr Brian Meehan, the man accused of murdering the journalist Veronica Guerin, concluded at the Special…

Evidence in the trial of Mr Brian Meehan, the man accused of murdering the journalist Veronica Guerin, concluded at the Special Criminal Court yesterday.

The court will hear closing submissions from the defence and prosecution next Tuesday.

One witness was called for the defence yesterday after the court ruled there was a prima facie case for the accused to answer.

Earlier Mr Meehan's counsel, Mr John McCrudden QC, had applied to the court for a direction of not guilty on the grounds that there was insufficient evidence to convict Mr Meehan.

READ MORE

The court earlier ruled that computer records relating to details of mobile phone records of the drugs gang leader behind the Guerin murder, Mr A, were admissible in evidence.

It was the 27th 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, Clondalkin, Dublin, on June 26th, 1996.

Mr Meehan also denies 16 other charges alleging he unlawfully imported cannabis resin into the State on various dates between July 1st, 1994 and October 6th, 1996, that he unlawfully possessed cannabis resin for the purpose of sale or supply on the same dates and that on or about October 3rd, 1996 at Unit 1B, Greenmount Industrial Estate, Harolds Cross, Dublin, he had cannabis resin for sale or supply.

He has also pleaded not guilty to having a Sten sub-machinegun, a silenced 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 at Oldcourt Road, Tallaght, Dublin between November 10th, 1995 and October 3rd, 1996.

Mr Jim Faughnan, an Eircell official, told the court that on the day of the Guerin murder, eight calls were made from the mobile phone of a State witness, Mr Russell Warren, to the mobile phone of Brian Meehan.

Five calls were made to the mobile phone of Mr A and five from Mr Meehan's mobile phone to Mr A's phone. Mr Faughnan said nine calls were made from Mr Meehan's phone to Mr Warren's phone and 10 from Mr A's mobile phone to Mr Warren.

One call was made from Mr A's mobile phone to Mr Meehan's phone. He said all the calls made by Mr A's phone were outside the jurisdiction and outside Northern Ireland or Britain.

Det Insp Thomas O'Loughlin said he was at Eindhoven military base in Holland on September 3rd, 1998, when Mr Meehan was handed over to him by Dutch police.

They returned to Casement Aerodrome at Baldonnel and at 4 p.m. that day he arrested Mr Meehan on 18 warrants issued by the Special Criminal Court.

When the prosecution case closed, Mr McCrudden applied to the court for a direction to acquit Mr Meehan on the grounds that there was not enough evidence to prove the charges against him. Mr Justice Morris said the court rejected the defence submissions.

The sole defence witness, Mr Joe Higgins, told the court that he worked at Greenmount Industrial Estate in 1996 and regularly saw two men arriving at one of the lock-up premises there.

Mr Higgins said he did not know Brian Meehan and had never met him.