Judge orders photos of Gilligan’s wife’s equestrian centre

A JUDGE yesterday ordered that photographs of the former equestrian centre owned by the wife of convicted drug dealer, John Gilligan, should be taken today or on Monday to ascertain its condition in advance of a High Court hearing next week into whether a receiver should be appointed to take the property over.

The Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB), which in 1996 obtained an order freezing Gilligan’s assets, is seeking to have a receiver appointed for Jessbrook Equestrian Centre in Enfield, Co Meath, which they say is in an overgrown and abandoned state.

The court heard it is owned by Geraldine Gilligan and CAB want to appoint a receiver to take it over along with other properties owned by Gilligan’s son Darren and his daughter Tracey.

John Gilligan, who is serving a 20-year sentence for drug dealing and was in court for yesterday’s application, interrupted Mr Justice Kevin Feeney when the judge was ruling that he needed up-to-date information on the state of Jessbrook to consider the application for the appointment of a receiver.

The judge was outlining that another court had ruled the property was the proceeds of crime when Gilligan, sitting in a heavily policed section of the court, shouted out: “No it wasn’t.”

As the judge tried to continue, Gilligan said the judges in the previous case “were in the wrong” before he was asked not to interrupt again.

CAB say the photos, taken in July and December, show the property is in an abandoned state.

Paul Burns, counsel for Ms Gilligan, said he “strongly objected” to this description and said Ms Gilligan had only received notice of what the CAB were saying about the property on January 16 after she spent Christmas abroad.

Counsel said it showed the CAB officer had unlawfully gained access.

Mr Justice Feeney ruled that he would not dismiss the case but would not allow the affidavit of the CAB officer to be admitted in evidence.

He ruled however that because the court required up-to-date evidence, legal representatives should attend Jessbrook, each with professional photographers for the purpose of taking pictures of the property. Any photo taken by one side should also be taken by the other and a book of photos can be prepared for the court.

The judge adjourned the hearing to next Wednesday and said if no agreement can be reached between the parties about how attendance at Jessbrook should proceed today, they should both attend at the equestrian centre at 11am on Monday.