Mr John Gilligan who is accused of the murder of the journalist Veronica Guerin flew out of Dublin Airport for Amsterdam the day before the killing, the Special Criminal Court has been told.
Mr James Dunne, a superintendent in charge of flow and revenue with Aer Lingus at Dublin Airport, said a ticket was bought at the Aer Lingus desk on June 13th, 1996. The return ticket to Amsterdam in the name of Mr John Gilligan cost £506.94. It was an open ticket and "quite flexible" in that the passenger could change the time of departure and the airport of arrival, he said.
Mr Dunne said from the airline's records the ticket was used on flight EI 608 which departed Dublin for Amsterdam at 15.35 on June 25th, 1996. He was not aware of any delay or change to the flight's schedule. He said the return portion of the ticket was never used.
Cross-examined by Mr Terence McDonald QC, counsel for Mr Gilligan, Mr Dunne said there was a passport check at the check-in desk but he could not say who used the boarding card issued there for the flight.
Sgt Stephen O'Sullivan told the court he stopped a red Opel Calibra car driven by the late Ms Guerin on the N7 on December 13th, 1995, for speeding. There was no tax on display and he demanded a driving licence and insurance be produced. Summonses were issued for Ms Guerin to appear at Naas District Court on April 24th, 1996.
She did not appear and her solicitor asked for the case to be adjourned. Sgt O'Sullivan said he was in Naas for the next court appearance on June 26th, 1996, and he saw Ms Guerin in the Naas Court Hotel. He said she was alone in the lounge, reading a newspaper and drinking a cup of coffee. He said she left the hotel at 10.40 a.m. and her case was called in the court at 12.30 p.m. It lasted "one or two minutes".
Earlier, protected witness John Dunne said he could not recall having a meeting at a Co Kildare hotel attended by Charles Bowden and Mr John Gilligan.
Dunne, who is serving a jail sentence for drugs offences and who is in the Witness Protection Programme, was recalled for further cross-examination by Mr Gilligan's counsel, Mr Michael O'Higgins SC.
Mr John Gilligan (48) has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Ms Veronica Guerin (37) at Naas Road, Clondalkin, Dublin, on June 26th, 1996.