Guerin suspect jailed for 20 years
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Your support makes all the difference.A man identified by an arresting garda officer as the killer of crime journalist Veronica Guerin was yesterday jailed for 20 years on drugs trafficking charges.
Patrick "Dutchy" Eugene Holland, 58, also known as "the Wig," with an address at Brittas Bay, Co Wicklow, was cited by Garda Marion Cusack as the person suspected of shooting the reporter in June 1996 when she arrested him a Dun Laoghaire last April.
The trial was held in the non-jury Special Criminal Court, which hears terrorist and criminal cases where jurors could be at risk. Evidence was heard from Charles Bowden, the first person to testify before an Irish court under the new witness protection programme.
Bowden, 33, a former soldier now serving a sentence for drugs offences, ran a cannabis distribution operation on behalf of others who the court ordered should not be named. He said he regularly supplied Holland with 20 to 50 kilos of cannabis during 1995 and 1996. He also confirmed that he prepared and primed the .357 Magnum revolver, imported with a cannabis consignment in early 1996, which was used to kill Ms Guerin, but had not known the intention was to kill her.
Mr Justice Johnson said it would be dangerous to convict on the evidence of Bowden alone, an accomplice, but cited corroborating evidence from gardai that Holland had said in custody "Look lads, I have my own customers and I am not going to implicate them".
The court heard Holland's nickname was on lists found at a Dublin lock- up garage used in preparing cannabis supplies where 47kg of the drug were found. Holland denied ever receiving cannabis and rejects Bowden's and garda evidence. Holland has convictions dating from 1965 for offences including armed robbery and possession of explosives.
The court refused leave to appeal to the Supreme Court.
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