Nevin seeks declarations that three men were Garda informers

Lawyers representing convicted murderer Catherine Nevin have initiated proceedings aimed at having the DPP or Garda commissioner disclose whether three men who gave evidence at her trial were State informers.

The application is part of Mrs Nevin's bid to have the conviction after a 42 day trial in April 2000 of the murder of her husband Tom at their pub, Jack White's Inn, Brittas Bay, on March 19, 1996, declared a miscarriage of justice.

Ms Nevin claims that material not given to her lawyers at the time of her trial contain information casting doubt on the credibility and motivation of key prosecution witnesses in the case.

When the case was mentioned at the CCA yesterday, Mr Justice Adrian Hardiman heard that Mrs Nevin's legal team are seeking an order requiring the DPP to answer the question whether three witnesses at her trial William McClean, Gerard Heapes and John Jones were ever state informers, or if Mr McClean had paramilitary connections.

Ms Nevin's solicitor Anne Fitzgibbon said that she is also seeking an order, pursuant to Section 3 of the Criminal Procedure Act 1993 directing the Garda Commissioner to carry out an investigation to establish whether the three men were ever informers and if Mr McClean had paramilitary connections.

Today Mr Justice Hardiman adjourned the case to a date in mid November.

The Judge also directed that legal submissions in relation to the orders being sought by Mrs Nevin be filed with the court in advance of that date.

In 2000 Mrs Nevin (aged 55) was also convicted on three counts of soliciting three different men to kill her husband in 1989 and 1990, six years before his murder.

She is serving a life sentence on the murder charge and a concurrent seven year term on the soliciting charges. Ms Nevin's appeal against her conviction was dismissed in 2003 by the CCA.