Mr John Gilligan appeared at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin last night charged with the murder of journalist Veronica Guerin in 1996.
Mr Gilligan appeared at the Green Street courthouse under tight security after he was flown by an Air Corps CASA jet from RAF Northolt in England following a decision by the High Court in London to dismiss his application to prevent his extradition to the State.
Following the court decision, Mr Gilligan was taken from Highdown prison in Surrey to RAF Northolt, where he was handed over to two Garda detectives who had travelled to Britain.
Mr Gilligan (47) was remanded in custody until next Wednesday and taken to Portlaoise prison under Garda escort after the hearing. It was the end of a 3 1/2 year legal battle by the Dublin man to prevent his return to the State. His addresses were given as Corduff Avenue, Blanchardstown, Dublin; Jessbrook Equestrian Centre, Enfield, Co Meath; and HM Prison Belmarsh, London. He was charged with the murder of Sunday Independent crime reporter Veronica Guerin, at Naas Road, Clondalkin, Dublin, on June 26th, 1996.
He was also charged with 11 offences alleging that 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 also charged with possession of a Sten submachine gun, a silencer barrel, two magazines, a 9 mm Agram machine pistol, five Walther semi-automatic pistols, four magazines and 1,057 rounds of assorted ammunition with intent to endanger life or to enable another person to endanger life at Oldcourt Road, Tallaght, Dublin, between November 10th, 1995, and October 3rd, 1996.
Many of the Garda officers involved in the Guerin murder investigation were present in court, as was the murdered journalist's brother, Mr Jimmy Guerin.
Mr Gilligan answered "yes" when asked by the court registrar if he was John Gilligan. Asked by Mr Justice Johnson, presiding, if he was legally represented, he replied: "No, your honour, I am representing myself."
Garda Det Insp Thomas O'Loughlin gave evidence that the Special Criminal Court had issued 18 warrants for Gilligan's arrest on August 29th, 1997 and 16 warrants were backed by magistrates in Britain for execution.
He said that at 2.30 p.m. yesterday, Det Sgt John Warren, of Scotland Yard, handed Mr Gilligan into his custody at RAF Northolt. He informed Mr Gilligan that he was now in Garda custody and was being extradited on foot of 16 warrants.
He cautioned Mr Gilligan who replied that he wanted to appeal against yesterday's judgment in the High Court in London.
Det Insp O'Loughlin said that when Mr Gilligan descended from the aircraft at Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel, at 4.35 p.m., he arrested him on foot of the warrants and he read over the warrants to him.
He said Mr Gilligan remained silent after each charge was read over to him.
Mr Peter Charleton SC, for the State, applied for a remand in custody until next Wednesday and said he would be in a position then to serve the book of evidence and to give an estimate of the length of the trial.
At the end of the 25-minute hearing, Mr Gilligan asked the three judges at the non-jury court: "Bail would be out of the question, wouldn't it?"
The House of Lords ruled last November that Mr Gilligan should be returned to the State but lodged a habeas corpus application with the High Court in London on the basis that he would be tried in the Republic of Ireland before a non-jury court and there was no equivalent court in England.
Last December, the British authorities dropped money-laundering and drugs charges against him. He has been in custody in Britain since his arrest at Heathrow Airport in October 1996.
Two Dublin men are serving life sentences for the murder of Ms Guerin (37), a mother of one, who was shot dead by the pillion passenger on a motorcycle which pulled up beside her car when it stopped at traffic lights on the Naas Road.
Last July, Brian Meehan, the driver of the motorcycle, was convicted at the Special Criminal Court for her murder and Paul Ward, who helped dispose of the motorcycle and murder weapon, was convicted of murder in November, 1998.