Thoughts turn to Veronica's mother after Gilligan shooting

Jimmy Guerin said it would be “hypocritical” of him to say he was upset by the gangland shooting of John Gilligan.

For him, the arrogant ex-crime boss is ultimately the person responsible for the murder of his sister on the Naas Road in June 1996.

But Gilligan was never convicted of Veronica Guerin’s death. His second-in-command, Brian Meehan, was the only gang member to be successfully convicted of her murder.

When Mr Guerin’s son rang him on Saturday night to say Gilligan had been repeatedly shot, he said his thoughts turned to his and Veronica’s mother who died last January.

“My mum died six weeks ago,” Mr Guerin told RTÉ radio yesterday. “I don’t think she ever got over her death. It never got any easier.”

Bernie Guerin, died aged 84, on January 15 last. Although she rarely made public comment, she campaigned for money seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau (set up after her daughter’s death) to be used to help communities destroyed by drugs.

Mr Guerin said the release of Gilligan last October, after serving 17 years for a drug trafficking conviction, hit his mother and the entire family very hard.

“Gilligan’s release affected her as did his abuse of the law in the High Court over the years.”

Mr Guerin said he didn’t want anyone to be shot, nor their families to suffer, but he said it would be “hypocritical” to say he was upset at the gun attack on Gilligan in Clondalkin.

He said the Guerin family was never able to grieve properly for the journalist’s death for a “long number of years” as her murder and the Garda investigation was constantly in the news.

He said Gilligan’s release from Portlaoise Prison and his brazen antics afterwards brought it all back again: “After his release, Gilligan was craving publicity and was getting it. This publicity now again doesn’t make it any less difficult.”

The trial of Gilligan for his sister’s murder and for drug trafficking was traumatic. He attended every day, accompanied by his wife, Louann, and always remembers Gilligan’s offensive behaviour. “I remember him looking over and smiling as evidence of Veronica’s death was read out in court. You don’t move on. That will stick with me until my dying day.”

Despite suspicions as to his involvement in Veronica Guerin’s death on June 26, 1996, the Special Criminal Court did not convict him in March 2001 in relation to the death. But it did convict him on drug trafficking offences. He was landed with a massive 28-year jail term for nine drug charges relating to the importation of a colossal quantity of cannabis — 21 tonnes — during 1994 and 1996.

The consignments were worth €55m, amassing Gilligan a profit of around €20m. His sentence was subsequently reduced to 20 years on appeal.

He had been in custody in Ireland since 1997, after he was extradited from England.

“He was convicted for drug dealing but the State was unsuccessful in the murder charge, even though he was the gang leader,” said Mr Guerin. “There is something wrong in our system when the Special Criminal Court express the belief he was involved in the murder.”

He said some people might say the drug baron had served his time and should be allowed to live the rest of his life. To that he said: “They haven’t served their time if you have lost a loved one. You are serving a life sentence with no remission.”

He said the Garda carried out a “fantastic investigation” into Veronica’s death, but, apart from setting up the Criminal Assets Bureau, “nothing else” had been achieved in tackling crime gangs.

“I think things are getting worse. There are more people suffering with drugs. Gangland is worse than ever. I have great admiration for the Garda. If resources were made available they could take on the criminal gangs and criminal activity.”