Journalist Williams gives evidence in criminal trial

Crime journalist Paul Williams has named in court the people he believes killed gangland figure Marlo Hyland and plumber Anthony Campbell.

Mr Williams gave evidence that Willie Hynes and John Mangan were allegedly responsible for the double murder and that the late Eamonn Dunne acted as the getaway driver.

The Sun on Sunday reporter was testifying in the trial of Joseph Warren (aged 30) who is accused of taking part in a raid on a cash in transit van with Dunne. Mr Warren claims Dunne forced him to take part in the theft and told him he "would be on top of Marlo" if he didn’t follow orders.

Mr Warren of Belclare Crescent, Ballymun has pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to conspiring to steal cash from Chubb Ireland at Tesco supermarket on the Shackleton Road in Celbridge on November 2, 2007.

Warren’s father, Thomas, gave evidence that gardaí told him that Dunne had also threatened to kill him over an €8,000 debt owed by his son. He said after being told of the threat by gardaí, he approached Dunne and paid €5,000 to clear his son’s debt.

Judge Tony Hunt told the court that Mr Williams was giving evidence of print articles about Dunne from the months leading up to the raid. The witness told defence counsel, Paul Comiskey O’Keeffe BL, that he was aware of Dunne as a gang member before 2006 but that he only rose to prominence after Hyland’s murder.

Mr Williams said two former lieutenants of Hyland were allegedly involved in the murders and named them as Hynes and Mangan. He said that Dunne was allegedly spotted in the area driving them away.

He said people “on the ground” were willing to speak out about the killings afterwards and that he developed two sources within the gang who told him Mr Campbell was murdered because he recognised one of the hitmen.

Mr Williams said he did not mention Dunne by name in his articles at that time but gave him the nickname “The Don” to help readers “navigate the story and understand there was a new gangland figure out there.”

He said Dunne really came to prominence in late 2008 when “people started getting murdered all over the place.”

The witness told counsel he never used Dunne’s real name during this time or used pictures of him with his articles.

He said after Hyland’s murder, Dunne was surrounded by a “trusted, hardcore” group which included Warren, Alan and Wayne Bradley and Brian O’Reilly. He said Warren and Dunne were “always together, always friends.”

Mr Williams said he got his information from criminal sources. He refused to answer when defence counsel asked him if he had informants from official sources.

Judge Hunt said the witness was entitled not to answer the question and that it was a “well established privilege” of journalists to protect their sources.

The journalist told Paul Carroll BL, prosecuting, that it took time for the information about Dunne to reach him. He said sometimes it suits criminals to “let the word out about a big crime” but that this wasn’t the case with the killing of Hyland and Mr Campbell. He compared the killing of Mr Campbell to that of Veronica Guerin or Baiba Saulite.

He said several criminals gave him information about Dunne and added that gangland figures “are not the most discreet or intelligent people” and with the help of alcohol and cocaine would start “shouting their heads off about it in a pub”.

Evidence has finished in the trial and the jury will hear closing speeches tomorrow/today (Tues) followed by the judge’s summary of the case.