The Special Criminal Court yesterday directed that the Attorney General provide notes of any offers or deals made with a key prosecution witness in the trial of Mr Paul Ward, the man accused of murdering the journalist Veronica Guerin.
The court ordered that the documents relating to any deals made with Charles Bowden should be furnished to the court by today. Bowden, who is serving a sentence for drugs and firearms offences and is under the Witness Protection Programme, is a key prosecution witness and is due to give evidence in the trial this week.
The court heard from Mr Edward Comyn SC, for the Attorney General, that no final decision had been taken by the Department of Justice concerning Bowden's sentence. He said he understood that a letter expressing this had been sent to Bowden.
Mr Justice Barr, presiding, said the court had been told that an offer had been made to Bowden in connection with avoiding prosecution for certain offences. Mr Ward's counsel, Mr Patrick MacEntee SC, said he wanted any documentation relating to "discussions, offers, agreements or attempted agreements" between the authorities and Bowden.
Mr Paul "Hippo" Ward (34), a native of Crumlin, Dublin, with an address at Walkinstown Road, Dublin, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Ms Guerin at Naas Road, Clondalkin, Co Dublin, on June 26th, 1996. The prosecution has claimed that Mr Ward was a member of the gang which planned and carried out the killing and claims that he disposed of the murder weapon and the motorcycle afterwards.
Det Sgt Thomas O'Shea said that during an interview with Mr Ward at Lucan Garda station on October 18th, 1996, a former garda, Mr John O'Neill, had been brought to the interview room to speak to Mr Ward. Cross-examined by Mr Ward's counsel, Mr Barry White SC, Det Sgt O'Shea said he did not know the purpose of Mr O'Neill being brought to see Mr Ward. He said he was aware that Mr O'Neill was in Garda custody at the time.
The sergeant said Mr O'Neill told Mr Ward to tell the truth and that he was "after telling the truth about warrants and summonses". The court was told earlier that the former garda had pleaded guilty to corruption offences and had resigned from the force.
Det Sgt O'Shea said there was no discussion about why the confrontation between Mr Ward and Mr O'Neill was taking place. He added: "It's the first time I have come across an arrested garda in an interview room."
He said he was not aware of any admissions made by Mr O'Neill and he believed the former garda was being questioned about payments for discharging warrants and summonses. He said Mr O'Neill had told gardai that a named man, who cannot be identified by order of the court, had paid him money to keep Mr Ward informed of any inquiries being made by them in relation to the Guerin murder investigation.
He denied that Mr O'Neill had been brought in to confront Mr Ward to pressurise him to talk. He also denied that the purpose of interviewing Mr Ward was to get admissions which would corroborate the evidence of Charles Bowden.
A retired detective-sergeant, Mr Patrick Lynagh, said that Mr Ward had been questioned after he met his girlfriend, Ms Vanessa Meehan, at Lucan Garda station on the night of October 17th, 1996. Mr Ward had told him that Ms Meehan knew nothing about the Guerin murder and had not been in his house that day.
He said Mr Ward had told him that two named men, who cannot be identified by order of the court, had called to his house on the day of the shooting. "We had it planned that after the job was done on Guerin they would come to my place. I was to get rid of the gear", he allegedly told the witness. Mr Ward had replied "the gun and the bike" when asked what he meant by "gear".
He denied suggestions by Mr White that Mr Ward had not made any of the alleged admissions and that Mr Ward had made no response when questioned by gardai.
The trial continues today.