A man who says he had an affair with Mrs Catherine Nevin said she asked him to get someone to "do a job" on her husband sometime in 1990.
Mr William McClean, of Harold's Cross, Dublin, the third man to give evidence of soliciting in the trial of Mr Tom Nevin's widow for his murder, told the Central Criminal Court "the job" was "kill him".
Mr McClean, who said he was from Monaghan but had lived in Harold's Cross since December 1989, said he asked her why she would do that and she said "she'd get the insurance money, the lot, everything".
It was the 14th day of prosecution evidence in the trial of Mrs Nevin (48), who has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Mr Nevin (54) on March 19th, 1996, in their home at Jack White's Inn, Ballinapark, near Brittas Bay in Co Wicklow. She has also pleaded not guilty to charges that on dates in 1989 she solicited Mr John Jones; that in or about 1990 she solicited Mr Gerry Heapes; and that on a date unknown in 1990, at St Vincent's Hospital, Dublin, she solicited Mr McClean, to murder her husband.
The jury also heard further cross-examination of Mr Heapes, who has admitted being a member of the IRA when he was convicted of the illegal possession of a firearm and of an armed robbery 23 years ago. Mr Heapes has alleged that the accused asked him to kill Mr Tom Nevin or get someone else to do it.
Mr McClean told Mr Peter Charleton SC, prosecuting, that he first met Mrs Nevin at the Red Cow Inn on the Naas Road, either in late 1984 or early 1985.
"We were just talking on the evening and it went on from there," he said. He said what went on was "a relationship, a sexual relationship" that lasted until sometime in August or September 1986.
He had stayed at Jack White's Inn a few times after its opening and before his relationship with Mrs Nevin ended, he said. After it ended, in August or September 1986, he had "no contact" with her.
He next saw the accused "around Christmas time or the beginning of the New Year in 1990". He and his girlfriend dropped into Jack White's "to have a bite to eat", he said. He met Mrs Nevin there but said nothing to her. Then, "as I was going to the toilet, she asked me how could she contact me in Dublin". Later, she did contact him, by phone.
"She said she was in Vincent's Hospital private clinic and would I call out to see her." He went there probably on the following day, he said. When he walked in, he asked her how she was and she said something about her heart, he wasn't sure what.
"Then she said Tom and herself weren't getting on, and would it be possible to get someone to do a job on him." The job was "kill him", he told counsel. She mentioned £20,000 by way of payment. "I asked her what - I said why would you do that?"
"I'd get the insurance money, the lot, everything," he alleged she said.
He told the jury that the accused mentioned the flats or when Mr Nevin was going to the bank as possible locations for the proposed killing.
Asked how he responded, he said: "I said no fucking way. I got up and walked out."
Had she given a reason for why she wanted Mr Nevin killed and why she approached him to do it, Mr Charleton asked. "She indicated to me that she was still fond of me, that we could get back together. I said it was a non-starter, no way," said Mr McClean.
Cross-examined by defence junior counsel, Mr Paul Burns, Mr McClean agreed that he met Mr Gerry Heapes at the opening of Jack White's Inn around April 1986. He met him only once between that time and the start of the criminal proceedings against Mrs Nevin, he said.
Mr McClean admitted that he had "two, maybe three" convictions. "There was two for deception, and I think the other was deception as well," he said. "Well I don't think they call it deception down here, they call it fraud down here." The first conviction took place "up North" in Clogher, Co Tyrone. He had bought a Land-Rover, but did not have enough money in the bank to meet the cheque, he said.
The jury heard that the conviction at Clogher Magistrates Court in 1973 was appealed to Omagh County Court in 1974 but the three-month prison sentence was affirmed. "Well, I didn't do prison for it anyway, I know that," the witness said.
He disputed records provided by the DPP that another conviction, in Portadown, was for four cases of criminal deception. The DPP had got it wrong, he said.
He told counsel of another conviction in the South, in the Bridewell, Dublin District Court. This was for "writing out a few of my own cheques and I didn't have the money to cover it" and "the bank came after me".
Mr McClean also said he had "no idea" why Mr Heapes was alleged to have told gardai that he knew Mr McClean as someone who did "kites and embezzlement". Asked what kiting was, McClean said it was "different things", including "writing cheques when you don't have the money to meet them".
He said he did not know what embezzlement meant.
The case continues before Ms Justice Carroll and a jury today.