Gilligans granted legal aid for Supreme Court appeal

Former gang leader John Gilligan, his ex-wife and their two children were granted legal aid today to pursue a Supreme Court appeal over the seizure of properties found to have been bought with the proceeds of crime.

The Criminal Assets Bureau (Cab) had opposed the Gilligans’ application, arguing John Gilligan had not disclosed some assets that which were not subject of the proceeds of crime orders and which could be used to fund his own appeal.

The Supreme Court said that given the Gilligans’ financial circumstances had not changed since they lost their High Court case to prevent Cab taking possession of properties including Jessbrook Equestrian Centre in Enfield, Co Meath, it was satisfied to grant them legal aid certificates.

The appeal arises out of a January 2011 High Court finding that most of the Gilligan assets were the proceeds of crime. These included Jessbrook where Geraldine lived and two houses in Lucan, Dublin, owned by Tracey and Darren.

The Gilligans claimed the properties were bought from legitimate earnings including a Stg£4 million loan to John Gilligan, who has almost served his 20-year sentence for drug dealing, to renovate his properties, and from his gambling activities. Mr Justice Kevin Feeney found those explanations incredible and improbable.

The Chief Justice, Ms Justice Susan Denham, sitting with Mr Justice Frank Clarke and Mr Justice John MacMenamin, said the court would not strike out the appeal given the only issue in relation to books of appeal was the lack of an attested judgment. She ordered the appeal be lodged immediately with a plain copy of the judgment with an attested copy to be lodged expeditiously.

The appeal will also be case managed by Mr Justice Clarke.