COURT TOLD DRUG GANG WILL IMPLICATE MEEHAN

Mr Brian Meehan, a Dublin man who is accused of the murder of the
journalist Veronica Guerin, had offered to shoot Ms Guerin, but had been
told that another man with a proven record as a "hit man" had been chosen,
the Special Criminal Court heard yesterday.

Prosecuting counsel Mr Peter Charleton SC said that Mr Meehan drove the
stolen motorcycle, from which the pillion passenger killed the Sunday
Independent crime reporter with six shots from a Magnum revolver as she sat
in her car on the Naas Road, Dublin, on June 26th, 1996.

Mr Charleton said that Ms Guerin was murdered because she had taken an
assault case against the leader of a criminal gang which operated a drugs
empire from Dublin. "The motivation was greed, and secondly, to destroy
Veronica Guerin, because she was a servant of the truth, which the accused
and his gang wished not to be revealed", counsel said.

Mr Charleton said that the trial would hear evidence from men who were
members of the gang who would tell the court that Mr Meehan had taken part
in conversations where the murder was planned.

Charles Bowden and Russell Warren, who are currently serving prison
sentences for their activities with the drug gang, would tell the court
that Mr Meehan collected the stolen motorcycle on the morning of the murder
and had talked about the murder weapon. Warren would also tell the court
that he followed Ms Guerin to Naas, phoned Mr Meehan when she left Naas,
and followed her to where she was murdered, witnessing the killing.

Mr Charleton was opening the prosecution case against Mr 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), a mother of one, at Naas Road, Clondalkin, on June 26th, 1996.

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

He has further pleaded not guilty to having a Sten sub-machinegun, a
silencer barrel, two magazines, a 9 m.m. Agram machine pistol, five Walther
semiautomatic 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. He has also denied
having the guns and ammunition with intent to enable another person to
endanger life and for an unlawful purpose between the same dates.

Mr Meehan, who wore an open-necked blue shirt and leather jacket, replied
"Not guilty" during the 10 minutes it took for the indictments to be put to
him.

Before the trial began the court turned down an application by Mr Meehan's
counsel, Mr Michael O'Higgins, for the murder charge to be dealt with
separately from the other offences. The court also refused an application
by defence counsel Mr John

McCrudden QC for the trial to be halted because of "abuse of process".

Mr McCrudden submitted that officials from the Department of Justice had
attempted "witness tampering" by offering a key prosecution witness,
Charles Bowden, privileges, depending on his performance in court.

The court directed that the identities of five men named in the case should
not be revealed. They are to be referred to as Mr A, B, C, D and E.

Opening the prosecution case, Mr Charleton said that Ms Guerin was
returning from a court hearing in Naas, where she had been appearing on a
minor driving charge, shortly before 1 p.m. on June 26th, 1996. Witnesses
would tell the court that a motorcycle with two people on it drew up beside
her car. It was the prosecution case that Mr Meehan was the driver of the
motorcycle and Mr E was the pillion passenger. The witnesses would say that
Mr E smashed the window of Ms Guerin's car and then pumped six shots into
her body, killing her within a matter of minutes. He then grabbed the
driver and the motorcycle sped away before turning up Belgard Road.

Mr Patrick Mooney, a pedestrian, would give a description of the bike as
"large and powerful". Mr Declan Halpin, who was driving a van in the area,
kept the motorcycle in view along Belgard Road, but it had gone from view
at Ballymount Road.

GardaED arrived at the scene of the shooting at 1.02 p.m. and at 1.45 p.m.
Ms Guerin was pronounced dead. The body was identified at the James
Connolly Memorial Hospital in Blanch ardstown at 9.50 p.m. by Ms Guerin's
husband, Mr Graham Turley.

Mr Charleton said that Garda Annette Murtagh saw Mr D at Greenhills Road at
1.25 p.m. and he drove in the direction of the city. Two other gardaED saw
Mr Meehan at the junction of Aungier Street and Stephen Street at 1.30 p.m.
and he had a mobile phone in his hand. It was the prosecution case that Mr
Meehan drove the motorcycle from the scene of the murder to a bungalow at
Walkinstown Road and then went into town with another person, where he met
Mr D and Bowden, after which the three men had a conversation. Gardai had
timed the journeys from the murder scene to Walkinstown and it had taken a
Garda motorcyclist from 4 minutes 20 seconds, 5 minutes 32 seconds and 7
minutes 34 seconds. The drive from Walkinstown Road to Aungier Street via
Harolds Cross took 25 minutes. Mr Charleton said that Ms Guerin had
complained about an assault on her carried out by the gang leader, Mr A, on
September 7th, 1995, and summonses had been issued against him. The judge
dealing with the case at Kilcock District Court had discharged himself on
June 25th, the day before Ms Guerin was murdered. Bowden had been arrested
on October 5th, 1996 and had begun co-operating with gardaED on October 6th.

A warehouse at Greenmount Industrial Estate had been searched and gardaED
found items linked to the accused man. The Green mount premises was the
distribution centre for a drugs empire controlled by Mr A, in which Mr
Meehan and Bowden played an equal role. A total of 115 bars of cannabis,
weighing 47kg and capable of making 470,000 cannabis cigarettes, were found
in the warehouse. Lists of who was to

be supplied with cannabis were also found and Mr Meehan's right thumbprint
was on one list.

GardaED also searched a grave at a Jewish cemetery at Oldcourt Road,
Tallaght, and found boxes containing arms and ammunition. Some of the
bullets found in the cemetery were similar to bullets taken from Ms
Guerin's body.

Mr Charleton said that Mr A had begun importing a huge quantity of cannabis
resin into the State in 1994 and John Dunne, who is now serving a prison
sentence and who would give evidence in the trial, had facilitated him by
arranging for the drugs to be transported from Holland to Cork. Dunne would
bring the drugs to the Ambassador Hotel and in the car park he would meet
Mr Meehan or Bowden, who would transfer the drugs to another van.

Counsel said that the motorcycle used in the murder was stolen by Warren
and in mid or late May 1996. Mr A had told Warren that he might need it.
Bowden would tell the court that he was a member of the gang along with
Paul Ward, who has been convicted of Ms Guerin's murder, and Mr Meehan, Mr
C and Mr D. Mr B was a "silent partner" of Mr A and his information was
closely connected with the murder of Ms Guerin. Bowden would tell the court
that Mr A had said he was not going to jail for anyone and he was fed up
with the hassle over the court case involving Ms Guerin.

During other conversations Mr Meehan had asked about a .357 Magnum revolver
which was stored at the Jewish cemetery. Bowden had other conversations
with Mr Meehan about the gun. In one conversation they had discussed who
was to shoot Ms Guerin and Mr Meehan had said he had offered to do it, but
that "someone with a proven record as a hit man, Mr E, had been chosen
instead".

The Monday or Tuesday before Ms Guerin was due in court in Naas the Magnum
had been brought to the Greenmount premises, where it was cleaned and
loaded with six bullets. Warren was also told by Mr Meehan not to say
anything because, no matter where he was, he "would be got".

Mr Meehan had collected the motorcycle from Warren sometime before 10 a.m.
on June 26th and told Warren to to go to Naas and look out for the red Opel
Calibra owned by Ms Guerin. Warren went to Naas and telephoned Mr Meehan
when Ms Guerin's car was seen leaving for Dublin. Warren followed Ms Guerin
to the place where she met her death and he witnessed that.

The trial continues today.