JOHN GILLIGAN told the High Court yesterday that he had earned nothing illegally but had made money from gambling and had a variety of jobs since the age of 10. Gilligan, who is attempting to prove his assets were bought legitimately, told the High Court he had worked hard and earned money since he was 10 years old.
He said he had a number of jobs, including selling bundles of sticks, being a seaman, hiring out trucks, selling cars and doing rubbish collections.
The case continues today when Gilligan will continue his evidence and his daughter, Tracey, will also be called as a witness.
Yesterday Gilligan said he got involved in gambling and found that as he bet more money, he won bigger amounts.
He said he owned horses and his daughter worked in stable yards. “I would have good knowledge of the horses,” he added. He said he intended to work as a gambler on release from prison, which he said would be in 18 months.
The Criminal Assets Bureau has taken possession of four properties, including an equestrian centre, owned by Gilligan, his wife and two children.
The bureau says the properties were seized because they had been bought with the proceeds of crime.
Gilligan told the court he never made money from dealing drugs, for which he was convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
He said the judges who tried him in the Special Criminal Court had been reading too many newspaper articles about him.
However, Mr Justice Kevin Feeney reminded him his conviction had subsequently been upheld in the Court of Criminal Appeal.