Chapter 1: What is the extradition case of Jonathan Gill about?
A court date for the hearing in the extradition process for Jonathan Gill, wanted in Northern Ireland for the murder of Robbie Lawler, is to be set later this week. Today I'm talking to Eamon Dillon about Gill and the High Court case which will decide his fate. You're listening to Crime World, a podcast from crimeworld.com.
So Jonathan Gill has remained in custody since the news of his arrest and being brought before the courts in connection with the annex tradition to the north of Ireland, where the PSNI want him in connection with the 2020 murder of Robbie Lawler. There was a hearing date or there was certainly a date for initially during the court proceedings because I was there.
It was said the 21st of April, but in actual fact, it happened the day before and it has been put off until Friday of this week. So at that point, there is going to be a date given where this hearing date will be decided upon. Now, That doesn't absolutely guarantee that he will fight this extradition, but it's unlikely he won't.
No, I mean, it's back to April the 24th. So originally it was the 21st. But his solicitor based in Belfast was unable to make arrangements to get to the High Court on that particular day. So obviously the extradition court was sitting in the meantime and, you know, somebody stood before the judge and explained all this. So the date that we're all waiting for actually...
move forward or like a bit earlier than we expected and then really what's going to happen on Friday what they're going to do there it's a notional date as they call it and they'll really decide then when there will be a hearing we still don't know whether or not Jonathan Gill is going to contest this extradition or not but
The fact that he has, I suppose, they're looking for a second counsel, it was mentioned, suggests that he may well be contesting it. But we won't actually know until the hearing because that would happen anyway, regardless of what way someone is going to go.
He's unlikely to go without contesting the extradition. I mean, you know, when we look at what he is wanted for, it's the murder of Robbie Lawler. We have heard there's three people before the courts in the north in relation to this. And during bail hearings and applications, we've heard that there are 20 people that the PSNI believe had a role to play in this.
But Gill is wanted by the PSNI so he can be prosecuted on a joint enterprise basis for murder, a serious charge. And should he be convicted of that, it would be a pretty lengthy sentence.
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Chapter 2: What are the implications of the murder of Robbie Lawlor?
It's unlikely he's going to go without trying to put up some fight about it. We know from the initial extradition in the Dublin High Court that there will be a reliance upon EncroChat phone messages, which haven't, of course, been used in the courts down here, which could be an element that he could use to try and fight any extradition.
I mean, it remains to be seen. I mean, it will be interesting in that regard because we haven't seen the EncroChat evidence used in Ireland. I know it's been well tested in other jurisdictions, particularly in the UK. And the North. And the North as well.
I mean, the EncroChat evidence that was contained in the arrest warrant, it's down to proving that Jonathan Gill is this particular person that they're claiming, who you can see from the messages, the intercepted texts and so on, that this person was front and centre of this complex plot.
and was very much hands-on involved in supplying a gun, involved in bringing the shooter and another getaway driver from a second car. So you're talking about somebody who was really hands-on and close to the murder.
And the handle that the PSNI will claim that Gill used was Steady Buster, along with the second handle Steady Buster, one seems to be the... Most important, the extradition warrant details some of the messages that are sent by Steady Buster and gives a good bit of detail of what was going on in relation to the plot to kill Robbie Lawler. So Gill is in custody. So he would be where?
Cloverhill still?
Generally it would be Cloverhill. I mean, there are occasions when people are remanded in other secure prisons, but we believe he's in Cloverhill.
And would it be likely that he could also apply for bail?
I mean, there's nothing stopping anybody in custody going to the High Court to look for bail. I mean, the problem, like as we've heard recently at some of the high court bail hearings, is actually getting access to your clients as a lawyer. If they're in Clover Hill, it's difficult enough because of overcrowding. Right. And in this case, it would be quite complex.
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