A garda denied at the Special Criminal Court yesterday that the man accused of murdering journalist Veronica Guerin had been offered his "ticket to freedom" in return for leading gardai to the gun used in the killing. Det Garda Gerard Dillon denied suggestions by Mr Paul Ward's counsel, Mr Barry White SC, that Mr Ward was also told he would get 20 years if he did not co-operate. The garda also denied that he drew the figure of a man in a car on a sheet of paper with Mr Ward's name on it and indicated it would be his "ticket to freedom" if he co-operated and showed gardai where the gun used in the Guerin murder was.
He was giving evidence in a "trial within a trial" to decide on certain legal issues which have been raised by the defence legal team. Mr Ward's lawyers are challenging the legality of his arrest on October 16th, 1996, and are arguing that his constitutional rights were breached because of non-compliance with custody regulations while in Garda custody at Lucan Garda Station. The defence has also claimed that Mr Ward was deprived of medication prescribed for him by a doctor. Mr Paul "Hippo" Ward (34), from Crumlin, Dublin, with an address at Walkinstown Road, Dublin, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of journalist Veronica Guerin (36), a mother of one, at the Naas Road, Clondalkin, Co Dublin, on June 26th, 1996. The prosecution has claimed that Mr Ward was a member of the gang that planned and carried out the killing and that he disposed of the murder weapon and the motorcycle. Det Garda Dillon said he interviewed Mr Ward at Lucan Garda Station on October 17th, 1996, and the accused had appeared normal. He told Mr White, under cross-examination, that he may have been "doodling" on a sheet of paper during one interview but he denied drawing a car with the man's figure in it and writing Mr Ward's name on it.
The garda also denied writing "Hippo" Ward on a sheet of paper followed by the words "20 years", and that Mr Ward had been told he would get 20 years if he didn't talk. Det Garda Dillon said Mr Ward was asked "to tell the truth" on numerous occasions. Det Garda James B. Hanley told the prosecuting counsel, Mr Peter Charleton SC, that he interviewed Mr Ward on October 18th from 10.50 a.m. until 12.45 p.m. and added that there was one interruption. He said that Garda John O'Neill, from Tallaght, came into the room for about two minutes and spoke to Mr Ward. He agreed with Mr Charleton that Garda O'Neill had resigned from the Garda Siochana since then and had pleaded guilty in the Circuit Criminal Court to bribery offences and had been sentenced. Earlier, Det Sgt Jerry Healy, cross-examined by the defence counsel, Mr Patrick MacEntee SC, denied suggestions that he had searched Mr Ward during his first interview with him at Lucan Garda Station on October 16th, 1996. He also denied that Mr Ward had been asked to remove some of his clothes and that he (witness) had rolled up a sheet of paper in his hand and thrown it away. Det Sgt Healy said that during a second interview with Mr Ward, on the morning of October 18th, Insp Gerry O'Connell knocked at the door of the interview room and directed him to go to the Department of Foreign Affairs. The sergeant said he went to the Department at 8.30 a.m. to wait for a suspect in the Guerin case to arrive to collect a certain item. Det Sgt Healy interviewed Mr Ward again at 1.52 p.m. and he left the room at 3.18 p.m. and went to the incident room.
From 3.20 p.m. to 3.30 p.m. he understood that legal advice was being sought in relation to Mr Ward. He said a telephone call was made to the DPP's office and he received instructions that Mr Ward was to be released from his Section 30 arrest and to be rearrested under the Misuse of Drugs Act. Det Sgt Healy went outside the station to the front gate and when Mr Ward came through the gates, he rearrested him. He denied that he had accompanied Mr Ward through the Garda station and that he had held on to Mr Ward's jacket. The trial continues today.