A man accused of the murder of journalist Veronica Guerin was refused bail by the High Court yesterday. Mr Paul Ward (32), of Windmill Road, Clondalkin, Co Dublin, is due to be tried on January 13th next for the murder of Ms Guerin at Naas Road, Clondalkin on June 26th last year.
Mr Justice Flood said yesterday that he was clearly of the opinion that bail should not be granted.
He added that there was a firm basis of Garda belief that witnesses would be interfered with and that Mr Ward would be unlikely to attend his trial.
Mr Ward is also facing a charge of false imprisonment arising from the Mountjoy Prison siege last January.
Last week he applied for bail to the High Court but the matter was adjourned until yesterday. The State had opposed bail.
During last week's hearing, Det Sgt John O'Driscoll said that it was his view that if the accused was granted bail he would not stand trial.
He said Mr Ward was a member of the most sophisticated criminal gang he had encountered in his service with the gardai. Witnesses had been threatened with murder and the house of one witness was burned to the ground.
Yesterday, Det Supt Martin Callinan said he also had no doubt that if Mr Ward was granted bail he would not stand trial.