Darren Gilligan, the son of convicted drug dealer John Gilligan, has consented to his surrender to Spain after the latest hearing of the extradition process against him. Mr Gilligan is set to stand trial on a number of charges in Spain, including drugs trafficking, and faces a maximum of four years imprisonment if convicted.
Mr Gilligan (47) appeared before Mr Justice Kerida Naidoo of the High Court in Dublin on Wednesday, and took to the witness box to confirm he understood the charges. He also confirmed to the court he understood by consenting to his return to Spain he would be put on trial and could be convicted and imprisoned.
Mr Justice Naidoo asked Mr Gilligan to read a document furnished to him while he was in the witness box and to sign it, if he wished, thus consenting to his return to Spain.
“When will I be going back?” Mr Gilligan asked Mr Justice Naidoo, who informed him he could not be returned for at least another 10 days and then must be returned at some point over the following 10 days.
Mr Gilligan then replied “thank you, your honour”, before signing the forms and leaving the court after his bail was extended. There were no objections to him remaining on bail as the court was told he had complied with the conditions of his bail in the period since mid April when he first came before the courts relating to the extradition process.
On Wednesday, the High Court was told Mr Gilligan faced several charges in Spain related to alleged drugs trafficking, alleged participation in a criminal organisation and alleged breaches of laws governing the control and use of medicines. The latter charge carries the longest maximum sentence, of four years.
The drugs trafficking charge carries a maximum sentence of two years and participation in a crime organisation carries a maximum term of up to 10 months, the High Court was told. The drug trafficking matters relate to drugs valued in the region of €3,500. That alleged offence dates back to 2020.
Mark Lynam BL, for Mr Gilligan, told Mr Justice Naidoo, his client was consenting to his return to Spain. He also pointed out Mr Gilligan was about to return there but was arrested two days before he was set to travel. He was due to appear before a Spanish court on another matter.
The High Court previously heard Det Sgt Adrian Murray arrested Mr Gilligan in west Dublin on April 12th, and when asked if he knew what the allegations were about, the 47-year-old replied “yes” and that it came “from being in the wrong place at the wrong time over nothing I done”.
Mr Gilligan had also previously indicated to the High Court he was willing to consent to his surrender to the Spanish authorities but could not do so until the European arrest warrant had been provided to the Irish authorities. He was first arrested in Dublin on April 12th on foot of a Schengen Information System (SIS II) Alert issued by the authorities in Spain.
Mr Gilligan’s father, John Gilligan (71), faces allegations in Spain that he is the leader of a drugs sales business, based in southern Spain, which was selling drugs and delivering them to customers via the postal service. The charges Darren Gilligan faces in Spain are linked to some of the activities his father is alleged to have been involved in.
John Gilligan was put on trial for the murder of mother-of-one Veronica Guerin in 1996 but was acquitted. However, he was convicted of drugs trafficking at the time and was released from prison in 2013 after 17 years.
John Gilligan and five other people were arrested in October 2020 in Alicante as part of a pre-planned operation by the Spanish national police, supported by the Garda and the UK’s National Crime Agency.
