Lawyers for convicted criminal John Gilligan argued this morning his original conviction must be overturned as it was based on evidence of a supergrass that the judge in the original case had labelled a liar.
In the Court of Criminal Appeal this morning, Mr John Rogers SC argued the original conviction was unsound and said the whole case against Gilligan was based on the word of a man, Charles Bowden, who could not be trusted.
Mr Rogers said Bowden, also a convicted criminal and one-time associate of John Gilligan, had lied in a crucial statement to the police and implicated Gilligan in the murder of Veronica Guerin.
In such circumstances, Mr Rogers argued, all Bowden's evidence must be considered suspect and disallowed. The result, he said, was that the original conviction is unsafe and must be overturned.
In addition, Bowden, who was placed in the Witness Protection Programme (WPP) in October 1996 for turning "supergrass", had effectively been offered cash, a job, and a mortgage under the WPP as an inducement, so there was good reason for Bowden to lie, Mr Rogers said.
Gilligan was convicted of 11 offences 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 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.
He was acquitted of the murder of journalist Veronica Guerin in 1996 and a number of firearms charges.
The appeal continues today before Mr Justice McCracken, presiding, Mr Justice Quirke and Mr Justice Peart.