AT PORTLAOISE District Court yesterday, John Gilligan said he had asked friends to bring a phone to court earlier this week.
Gilligan (58), who is defending himself in a long-running case, on a charge of mobile phone possession at Portlaoise Prison on July 30th, 2008, claimed he had intended using the phone at the court this week to contact his solicitor.
Portlaoise District Court was cleared during a hearing into his case on Tuesday last when gardaí were alerted to the presence of an unauthorised mobile phone in the courtroom. During a search of the courtroom they discovered and seized two mobile phones. An investigation into the matter is ongoing.
Yesterday, in addressing the court, Gilligan accused Portlaoise Prison governor Edward Whelan of denying him permission to phone two solicitors based outside of the State. He also claimed legal mail from both men had not reached him in Portlaoise.
Gilligan said he had requested a phone to be brought to the court. “I asked them to ring friends of mine and bring a telephone to court,” he said.
“I got that telephone on the 30th and I put it in my bag and I was going to ring my two solicitors,” he continued.
He said he had planned to use the phone during lunch. “Then when I was finished I was going to break it up and put it in the toilet,” he said. Gilligan said he knew the phone would have to be disposed of before he returned to the prison because of the strict checks in place at the facility.
Gilligan asked Mr Whelan, “Will you allow me two telephone calls to ring these two solicitors?” The governor responded: “He can call his legal adviser every day.”
He denied any knowledge of the legal mail mentioned by Gilligan.
“I have to do things to try and get contact with my solicitors,” Gilligan told Judge Gerard Haughton.
He said despite being represented by a number of solicitors in different matters, he is only allowed to call one legal adviser on a daily basis.
The judge adjourned the case until April 13th.