It may be early next year before Mr John Gilligan knows whether he will be tried in Britain on drug-trafficking charges or if he will be extradited to Ireland on charges including the murder of the journalist, Ms Veronica Guerin.
Counsel for Mr Gilligan (46) lodged an appeal with the House of Lords against his extradition and his continued detention on British drug-trafficking charges. However, if the appeal is allowed to proceed it may not be heard before the Lords until early 1999.
Mr Gilligan has been in custody in Belmarsh high-security prison since his arrest at Heathrow Airport in October 1996, when he attempted to board a flight to Amsterdam with £330,000 in his suitcase. The 18 warrants for his extradition to Ireland include charges regarding the possession of firearms, drug-trafficking and Ms Guerin's murder.
At Woolwich Crown Court yesterday, counsel for the prosecution, Mr Shane Colleary, told the court that Mr Gilligan had been refused leave to appeal to the Lords on March 11th but a further petition had been lodged on April 19th and those proceedings were continuing.
Seeking an extension to custody time limits on the British drugs charges, Mr Colleary said the defence had been allowed time to petition the Lords but it would be at least four or five months before a decision to allow the appeal to proceed would be granted.
Mr James Lewis, appearing for Mr Gilligan, told Judge James Rucker that his client "strenuously objects" to the extension of custody time limits and that he wanted the court to set a date for the continuation of his British trial on drug-trafficking charges. The trial was technically adjourned when warrants for his extradition were served last year, and in January a High Court appeal against the adjournment failed. Mr Gilligan had never consented to the extension of custody time limits, Mr Lewis argued. However, he expected a decision on leave to appeal to the Lords would not be made until October or November and if the appeal was granted the case would not be held until early next year.
The judge extended the custody time limit until September 15th.