A Dublin man accused of the murder of journalist Veronica Guerin was involved in two incidents in the Four Courts yesterday. During an application for bail by Mr Paul Ward, a prison officer gave evidence that the defendant had tried to assault him. Mr Gerry Argue said Mr Ward had been abusive to him and had told him he wished he had him hostage in Mountjoy jail.
He said Mr Ward had also, while in the toilet area and linked to staff from Portlaoise Prison, tried to headbutt him.
Asked by Ms Marie Torrens, counsel for Mr Ward, if the incident had arisen in relation to the prisoner's girlfriend, Mr Argue replied: "That's correct, yes."
Mr Ward (32), of Windmill Park, Crumlin, Dublin, is charged with the murder of Ms Guerin on the Naas Road, Clondalkin, on June 26th last year. He is due to be tried on that charge on January 13th. He was refused bail in December 1996, when charged with conspiracy to murder Veronica Guerin. In April he was again refused bail after he had been charged with her murder.
Mr Peter Charleton SC, for the State, said yesterday he was objecting to Mr Ward's latest bail application on several grounds, including the nature of the charges, the strength of the evidence, the defendant's own admissions, and the evidence of a member of the criminal gang involved in the murder of Ms Guerin.
Counsel said Mr Ward had been aware that gardai were looking for him after Ms Guerin's murder and had evaded arrest until October 1996.
The State believed that if granted bail he would leave the jurisdiction.
Det Insp Gerry O'Connell told the court he had no doubt the defendant would not stand trial if granted bail. He said Mr Ward had tried to corruptly obtain passports for his brother, Shay, and his sister-in-law. Forms were found in the Passport Office signed by a fictitious Garda Thomas Davis.
Sgt Patrick Kane said both passport application forms had official stamps. A member of the Garda was before the courts in connection with the matter.
Ms Torrens said unsigned admissions by Mr Ward while in custody would be disputed at his trial. Her client would also claim that he was available to gardai at all times at his address at Windmill Park in the months before his arrest. Mr Ward would also claim that he had made no application for passports for his brother and sister-in-law.
Det Sgt John O'Driscoll told the court it was his view that if the defendant was granted bail he would not stand trial. He said Mr Ward was a member of the most sophisticated criminal gang he had encountered in his service with the gardai. Witnesses had been threatened with murder and the house of one witness had been burned to the ground.
Det Sgt Martin Callinan said Mr Ward was one of six prisoners who took prison officers hostage in Mountjoy jail between January 4th and 6th last year for 53 hours and 20 minutes. The witness said he believed Mr Ward had participated in the activity in an effort to regain his liberty.
The bail application was adjourned by Mr Justice Flood until next Monday.