The man accused of murdering journalist Veronica Guerin told the Special Criminal Court yesterday he was a "victim" of State witness Charles Bowden, who had "poisoned" the gardai with allegations that he was involved in the murder.
Mr Paul Ward also told the court that members of a drug-dealing gang joked about Veronica Guerin as they sat around a swimming pool on a Caribbean island. Mr Ward said other members of the gang "slagged" the gang leader because Ms Guerin had taken an assault case against him. But the leader, who was named in court but cannot be identified, was convinced that he would get off the assault charge, Mr Ward said.
The Dublin man again denied any involvement in the planning of Ms Guerin's murder or in disposing of the murder weapon and motorbike used in the killing. Mr Paul "Hippo" Ward (34), a native of Crumlin, Dublin with an address at Walkinstown Road, Dublin, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Ms Guerin (36), a mother of one, at 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 afterwards. When asked by prosecuting counsel Mr Peter Charleton what he did for a living in that period between 1994 and 1996, Mr Ward replied: "I was selling cannabis, I was selling tobacco and cigarettes." Mr Ward said he had made a total of £300,000 in that period from selling cannabis and added: "Lots of it I spent, some I held on to, (a named man) has the rest."
He agreed he had been in the flat "on numerous occasions" of one of the drugs gang members, who was also named by Charles Bowden, and said he was "a friend" of the man but claimed privilege on answering questions about his relationship with the man.
He agreed with Mr Charleton that in the period 1994 to 1996 the named man was "a major drug dealer in Dublin" and said he had smuggled hundreds of kgs of cannabis into the city. But Mr Ward said he did not know if the man had smuggled guns and ammunition as well and denied ever being in a Jewish cemetery at Oldcourt Road in Tallaght where gardai discovered a large arms cache.
Mr Ward said the drug dealer did not tell him if he had brought in guns and added: "He had no reason to tell me." He also said he didn't know where the cannabis came from and told the court he knew another named man alleged to be the leader of the gang for "several years".
He agreed that this man was a friend of his and said the man made his money from selling cannabis in the years between 1994 and 1996.
Mr Ward said the man he named as a "major drugs dealer" had sold the cannabis that this man had imported. Mr Ward said his own role was to get customers for the cannabis. He said he had put £20,000 in bonds for his daughter, he had paid for two sessions in a London clinic for himself and his niece to treat their heroin addiction which cost him from £15,000 to £18,000 and had bought a car for £14,000. He also spent about £100 a day on his heroin habit.
He said he had heard of the killing of Ms Guerin on the news or in the Evening Herald or else someone had telephoned him but he could not be sure. He said he did not know Veronica Guerin but he knew she had taken an assault charge against the gang leader. He said he was at a family wedding on St Lucia in March 1996 with other members of the gang and the gang leader and they were joking about the assault charge and telling the leader he would get six months or 12 months in prison. "The woman's name was brought up and they were laughing at [the named man]. He was convinced he would get off the charge," he said.
Mr Ward said this happened as they sat around a swimming pool and he said it wasn't funny in regard to Ms Guerin. "I am a victim of being accused of this," Mr Ward added. "Mr Bowden is the main man, the main person who has me here. I know the guards have to do their job. I am not making myself out to be a saint, far from it. I don't blame the guards, I blame Mr Bowden for the lies he said about me and he is after convincing the guards. He is putting poison in the guards' minds saying that I was involved in that woman's murder. I wasn't." The trial continues today. )