State fails to reactivate man's sentence

The State has failed in a bid to reactivate the six-year balance of a sentence on the brother of Brian Meehan. Brian Meehan is currently serving a life sentence for the murder of journalist Veronica Guerin.

Bradford Meehan, aged 32, of Stanaway Road, Crumlin who was released from prison last April after serving four years of a 10-year sentence was arrested for allegedly helping a fugitive evade the gardaí earlier this month.

Detective Garda Paul Lynch told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court he arrested Meehan on February 2 after he aided the escape of wanted criminal Gary Byrne from Clonard Road, Crumlin, who was unlawfully at large from Mountjoy Prison.

Det Gda Lynch said Byrne was a front seat passenger in a car driven by Meehan and he was handed a syringe by Meehan when gardai tried to arrest him.

The gardaí backed off but when Meehan reversed the car, gardaí managed to block them off. Byrne ran from the car and over a nearby wall.

Det Gda Lynch said Meehan was arrested and charged with possession of a syringe and would be appearing in the District Court next month.

He said Byrne was serving a sentence for armed robbery and received temporary release to attend a funeral but failed to return to the prison.

Meehan had been ordered to live at the family address in Crumlin on his release from the 10-year sentence but he admitted to gardaí that he spent four nights a week in his girlfriend's house in Clondalkin.

Ms Iseult O'Malley BL, for Meehan, said he would be pleading not guilty to the offence in the District Court and it would be unfair to jail a man for six years because he stayed over a few nights a week with his girlfriend.

She added that his father, Kevin Meehan, aged 63, who was jailed for five years at the Special Criminal Court in May 2000 for money laundering offences, was in court and would confirm that he was residing at the family address on Stanaway Road.

Judge Elizabeth Dunne said that though she had jurisdiction to send Meehan back into custody if she felt it was appropriate, she would make no order in the case because she wasn't happy with the evidence heard.

"I don't know what interviews have taken place and also I have no report from the probation services to say he has not complied with conditions set by this court on his release last year", Judge Dunne added.

Judge Kieran O'Connor imposed the 10-yar sentence on Meehan in April 1998 after he pleaded guilty to almost 30 charges involving robberies, assault and unlawful taking of motor vehicles.

Judge O'Connor granted him leave to seek a review of his sentence after four years on condition that he was clear of all drugs and availed of education facilities in prison.

He had been in custody on these charges since July 1997 but was also serving District Court sentences.

Meehan's brother, Brian, was convicted four years ago of being involved in the 1996 murder of Sunday Independent crime reporter Veronica Guerin.

Ms Guerin was shot by a man on a motorcycle when she stopped in her car at traffic lights on the Naas dual carriageway.

Meehan is the only person serving time for the murder but is expected to have an appeal heard within the next year.

He is also taking legal action against the makers of a film on the slain journalist which portrays him as the driver of the motorcycle.