A British undercover agent yesterday described how he was involved in a covert operation in London where he met an Irishman currently accused of being involved in a conspiracy to obtain a cache of weapons for criminal purposes.
The agent, who is attached to the UK's Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), began giving evidence yesterday from behind a screen at Cork Circuit Criminal Court in the trial of two Irishmen accused of a conspiracy to obtain arms and ammunition.
Glen Geasley (27) and Sean Callinan (21) both deny three conspiracy charges and a fourth charge of attempting to possess a haul of 24 weapons, including RPG rocket launchers, assault rifles, submachine guns and semi-automatic pistols seized in Cork last year.
Yesterday, a SOCA agent called John was sworn in before the jury to start giving evidence on the fifth day of the trial of Mr Geasley from Innishmore Drive, Ballincollig, Co Cork, and Mr Callinan from Pearse Park, Tullamore, Co Offaly.
John was visible to both accused, the jury, both legal teams and Judge Patrick Moran, but was shielded from the public in courtroom two at Washington Street Courthouse.
Tom O'Connell SC, prosecuting, addressed the jury about the use of the screen around the witness box. It is to be used for John and the next prosecution witness called Raj. "For security reasons it is necessary to screen those witnesses from the public gallery so that their appearance - the disclosure of their identity - is kept to a minimum."
Questioned by Mr O'Connell, John confirmed that he worked for the serious crime unit. He also said he had bought a specific mobile phone for use in the operation.
John also confirmed that he had received a briefing from another SOCA officer, Andy Dunne, and that he was working on February 22nd, 2007, with another undercover agent by the name of Raj. They were on duty together at a railway arch warehouse in London.
"A Mr Geasley arrived at the premises, using the name John," John told the jury.
Defence counsel for Mr Geasley, Padraig Dwyer SC, then said he had some legal issues to raise, and the jury was sent home for the day.
John is the second witness to give evidence in the trial, and follows senior SOCA manager Carol Jenner who had earlier claimed privilege in respect of questions by Mr Dwyer as to who had introduced Mr Geasley to the undercover SOCA agents on February 22nd, 2007.
Mr Dwyer had put it to Ms Jenner that Mr Geasley had met a SOCA agent called George in the company of a man from Turkey or eastern Europe before February 22nd, 2007, and that the agency had made a recording of that meeting.
He also put it to Ms Jenner that there had been telephone conversations between George and Mr Geasley, and that George, together with another man in his mid-40s, had driven Mr Geasley to meet John and Raj.
Ms Jenner claimed privilege in reply to all these questions. She rejected a suggestion by Mr Dwyer that the reason that she was claiming privilege in response to these questions was because she did not want the jury to know the full truth, and said there were legitimate reasons why she was claiming privilege.
Judge Patrick Moran had already informed the jury that he had made a ruling following legal submissions by both prosecution and defence that the State could claim privilege in respect of all matters prior to February 22nd, 2007, when there was a meeting at a London warehouse.
The trial continues.
