Guerin family urges murderer to acknowledge his actions

Thirty years after journalist Veronica Guerin was murdered, her brother Jimmy Guerin is urging the Parole Board to seek an acknowledgment of wrongdoing from Brian Meehan, the man convicted of her killing. Meehan is serving a life sentence for the 1996 assassination, which occurred because Guerin was prepared to testify against John Gilligan, the leader of a major drug gang.

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The least the Parole Board should do before it releases Brian Meehan - who was convicted of the murder - is to look for an acknowledgment from him of the wrong he has done.

Guerin, a mother of a six-year-old boy, was shot six times in her car on June 26, 1996, as she was about to expose the Gilligan gang's drug operations. The gang's leader had previously assaulted and threatened her. The state's response to her murder was substantial, including increased Garda resources, new legislation like the witness protection program and the Criminal Assets Bureau, and the use of the Special Criminal Court for gangland criminals.

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We're dealing with immoral individuals

Retired assistant commissioner Tony Hickey, who led the investigation, called it a "watershed moment," noting that the necessary resources and legislation were finally provided. The investigation led to the dismantling of the Gilligan gang and lengthy prison sentences for its key members. However, the demand for drugs meant that new criminal organizations, notably the Kinahan Organised Crime Group, quickly filled the void left by the Gilligan gang.

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a watershed moment, a game changer

Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan stated that Guerin's murder remains shocking but transformed policing and the response to organized crime in Ireland. The Kinahan group has also posed a threat to the state, carrying out numerous murders in Dublin between 2016 and 2018. Gardaí are confident that the Kinahan group will face a similar fate to the Gilligan gang, with many of its members imprisoned, which may be Guerin's most significant legacy.

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the crime remains as shocking today as it was 30 years ago.