Charles Bowden is a convicted

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

criminal, who after turning state's witness in the murder of journalist Veronica Guerin, was the first person to enter

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

's Witness Security Programme.

Early life

Born in

Finglas Finglas (; ) is a northwestern outer suburb of Dublin, Ireland. It lies close to Junction 5 of the M50 motorway, and the N2 road. Nearby suburbs include Glasnevin and Ballymun; Dublin Airport is to the north. Finglas lies mainly in the posta ...

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...

, he left school and joined the

Irish Army The Irish Army, known simply as the Army ( ga, an tArm), is the land component of the Defence Forces of Ireland.The Defence Forces are made up of the Permanent Defence Forces – the standing branches – and the Reserve Defence Forces. The A ...

. Rising to the rank of

corporal Corporal is a military rank in use in some form by many militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. The word is derived from the medieval Italian phrase ("head of a body"). The rank is usually the lowest ranking non- ...

, he gained a black belt in karate but was dishonourably discharged after beating up a new recruit.

Criminal

Having separated from his first wife and two children and unable to pay

child support Child support (or child maintenance) is an ongoing, periodic payment made by a parent for the financial benefit of a child (or parent, caregiver, guardian) following the end of a marriage or other similar relationship. Child maintenance is paid d ...

, he met one of Dublin's major ecstasy dealers in a gym in Buckingham Street. Working as a doorman at the Hogan Stand

public house A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and wa ...

, he started selling drugs for the gang. Leaving his doorman's job, he began distributing

cannabis ''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: '' Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternative ...

across Dublin for John Gilligan's gang, becoming the gang's

quartermaster Quartermaster is a military term, the meaning of which depends on the country and service. In land armies, a quartermaster is generally a relatively senior soldier who supervises stores or barracks and distributes supplies and provisions. In ...

. Bowden cleaned and loaded the pistol used to kill Veronica Guerin, which he believed would be used by Patrick "Dutchy" Holland only to threaten her. After the murder of Guerin, Bowden, like the other members of Gilligan's gang who were still in Ireland, was arrested.

Informant

In an agreement with the

Attorney General of Ireland The Attorney General of Ireland ( ga, An tArd-Aighne) is a constitutional officer who is the legal adviser to the Government and is therefore the chief law officer of the State. The attorney general is not a member of the Government but does pa ...

, he agreed to turn state's witness and become the first person to enter the country's witness protection programme. Granted complete immunity from prosecution for the murder of Guerin, he was the only witness to give evidence against all four drug gang members at their trials in the

Special Criminal Court The Special Criminal Court (SCC; ga, Cúirt Choiriúil Speisialta) is a juryless criminal court in Ireland which tries terrorism and serious organised crime cases. Legal basis Article 38 of the Constitution of Ireland empowers the Dáil to ...

: Holland, Paul Ward, Brian Meehan and Gilligan. Bowden was subsequently prosecuted and found guilty for drugs and firearms offences. Sentenced to six years in jail, he was held under armed protection in prison in a special secure four-cell unit at

Arbour Hill Prison Arbour Hill Prison () is a prison located in the Arbour Hill area near Heuston Station in the centre of Dublin, Ireland. The prison is the national centre for male sex offenders. Adjacent to the prison are the Church of the Sacred Heart, ...

, alongside John Dunne and Russell Warren, who also gave evidence against the drug gang members. It was confirmed in April 2001 by the Attorney General of Ireland's office, that Bowden had been released from jail. Following discussions with foreign state witness protection programmes, Bowden and his second wife, had been relocated abroad. The family had been provided with a house, the mortgage for which was to be paid by the state, and Bowden was given a job compatible with his abilities and education. It is an offence under

Irish law Law of Ireland or Irish law may refer to: * Early Irish law (Brehon law) of Medieval Ireland * Alternative law in Ireland prior to 1921 * Law of the Republic of Ireland * Law of Northern Ireland The law of Northern Ireland is the legal syste ...

to try to contact him or to publish his whereabouts.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bowden, Charles Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Criminals from Dublin (city) Irish Army soldiers Irish drug traffickers 20th-century Irish criminals Irish male karateka

Early life

Criminal

Informant

See also

References