Courts / Dublin / Report

State lawyers ask for more time to file response to appeal brought by Veronica Guerin murderer

Date
2015-06-19

Stage
Appeal

Primary locality
Crumlin

County
Dublin

Summary

Lawyers for the State have requested an additional two weeks to file a response to Brian Meehan's appeal, which seeks to have his 1999 conviction for the murder of journalist Veronica Guerin declared a miscarriage of justice. Meehan, aged 47 and serving a life sentence in Portlaoise prison, is arguing that new evidence from the 2001 Special Criminal Court trial of John Gilligan undermines his conviction. The evidence relates to material that emerged during Gilligan's trial, in which Gilligan was acquitted of Guerin's murder but convicted of cannabis importation. During case‑management proceedings in the Court of Appeal, the Director of Public Prosecutions' counsel, Paul Anthony McDermott, explained that the State needed time to prepare a full set of submissions, citing the volume of material and the need to clarify the meaning of new evidence.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: State lawyers ask for more time to file response to appeal brought by Veronica Guerin murderer. Charges or matters: the importation and possession of cannabis resin. Procedural stage: appeal. Findings: Convicted

When:

July 1999 Hearing Or Sentence
June 1996 Hearing Or Sentence
July 10 Hearing Or Sentence
July 13 Hearing Or Sentence
2015-06-19 Publication

Why: President of the Court of Appeal Mr Justice Seán Ryan said a fair amount of Mr Meehan's case was that a Mr Warren is allegedly "not to be trusted" because another court had described him in trenchant terms. CNI source report

Case subjects

Brian Meehan

Convicted Person

Charges: the importation and possession of cannabis resin (Alleged Or Contested)

Outcome: Meehan (47), from Crumlin in Dublin, is serving a life sentence in Portlaoise prison having being convicted in July 1999 of the murder of Ms Guerin in June 1996 following a 31-day-trial before the non-jury Special Criminal Court.

Veronica Guerin

Appellant

Charges: the importation and possession of cannabis resin (Proven)

Finding: Convicted

Outcome: Convicted; Meehan (47), from Crumlin in Dublin, is serving a life sentence in Portlaoise prison having being convicted in July 1999 of the murder of Ms Guerin in June 1996 following a 31-day-trial before the non-jury Special Criminal Court.