A Dublin man accused of murdering journalist Veronica Guerin two years ago was refused bail for the fourth time yesterday.
The Special Criminal Court turned down a bail application on behalf of Mr Paul "Hippo" Ward (34), from Windmill Park, Crumlin, with an address at Walkinstown Road, Dublin.
Mr Ward is due to go on trial on October 6th accused of the murder of Ms Guerin at the Naas Road, Clondalkin, Co Dublin, on June 26th, 1996.
The court was told that Mr Ward had made alleged admissions to gardai in which he admitted disposing of the motorbike and the gun used in Ms Guerin's murder.
Opposing bail, Supt Jeremiah O'Connell also said it would be alleged that phone calls were made from one of the killers on the motorbike to Mr Ward's house in Walkinstown throughout the day and minutes before Ms Guerin was murdered.
He said he believed there was a very strong case against Mr Ward, and added: "I sincerely and genuinely believe that if the accused is granted bail he will not stand trial and will leave the jurisdiction."
He said the leader of the gang who planned the journalist's murder had left the jurisdiction before the murder was carried out and other gang members had made plans to leave after the killing.
He said Mr Ward was moving between safe houses and hotels to avoid arrest and on October 10th, 1996, gardai carried out 17 searches but had failed to locate any of the gang.
The court directed that the name of no one mentioned during the bail hearing should be reported other than the defendant and the victim.
Mr Peter Charleton SC, for the State, said Mr Ward's bail application had been turned down three times by the High Court - in December 1996; April 1997; and November 1997.
He said Mr Ward's trial had opened in the Special Criminal Court in January this year but had been adjourned after a dispute had arisen over the disclosure of documents to the defence.
He said Mr Justice Carney had ruled on the issue in April but the defence had appealed the decision to the Supreme Court, which was to hear the case next week.
Mr Charleton said there were three "planks" in the case against Mr Ward.
There was his alleged admissions to gardai that he was aware two men on a motorbike were to murder Ms Guerin and that he had listened to a radio scanner to monitor Garda messages on the day of the murder.
There would also be evidence from a former accomplice that Mr Ward was "a principal in the murder" and evidence of phone calls between Mr Ward's house and one of the men on the motorbike.
Mr Ward's counsel, Mr Paul Burns, said his client had been in custody since his arrest on October 16th, 1996. He would have spent almost two years in custody when his trial was due to start on October 6th.
He said two years' detention without a finding of guilt could not, and should not, be tolerated. Mr Ward was entitled to be released at this stage.
Mr Justice Johnson said Mr Ward had made three previous applications for bail in the High Court which had all been refused and there had been no appeal against those decisions.
He said the court accepted the evidence of Supt O'Connell that he believed Mr Ward would not stand trial if granted bail and remanded Mr Ward in custody until October 6th.