Gilligan was 'largest beneficiary' of cannabis imports
John Gilligan was found guilty on 11 counts of arranging the importation of cannabis resin between 1994 and 1996.
The prosecution listed 39 shipments of cannabis resin directly from Holland to Ireland by Gilligan between September 1995 and October 1996 varying in size from 28 to 661 kilos.
Judge O’Donovan described Gilligan as the 'largest beneficiary' of these imports.
Assistant commissioner Tony Hickey later told the court these imports could be valued at £40m.
The prosecution also alleged these shipments included four consignments of firearms, among them the Magnum revolver used to murder Ms Guerin, together with sub-machine guns, semi-automatic pistols, silencers and ammunition, which were hidden in a tomb in a Jewish graveyard in Tallaght, West Dublin.
But Judge O’Donovan ruled that the only evidence linking Gilligan to these weapons was the 'uncorroborated evidence' of Charles Bowden, who confessed to loading the murder weapon and is currently serving six years for drugs and firearms offences.
He acquitted Gilligan on four counts of possessing firearms and ammunition between 1995 and 1996.
The court also today heard from Assistant Commissioner Hickey that Gilligan has 16 previous convictions dating back to 1967.
These were for larceny, burglary, receiving stolen goods and included a couple of traffic offences.
In November 1990 Gilligan was convicted, again at the Special Criminal Court, of receiving stolen goods and sentenced to four years in prison.
In February 1993 Gilligan received a further six months sentence for assaulting a prison officer.
Judge O’Donovan said the court would pass sentence on Gilligan for the drugs offences this afternoon.
