UTV News MONDAY 28/07/2003 12:35:03  McKevitt trial concluded today The trial of alleged Real IRA leader Michael McKevitt concluded today after the last of the witnesses gave evidence.  A decision was expected from Dublin Special Criminal Court`s three judges next week. The trial came to a speedy end after McKevitt sacked his legal team last week. Since the defence lawyers were dismissed the procession of Garda witnesses gave evidence without lengthy cross examination. The 53-year-old remained in his cell beneath the courtroom today, continuing what he described as his ``dignified peaceful protest.`` Last Thursday McKevitt denounced the proceedings as a political show trial. The following day he refused to come into the courtroom, saying he wished to take no further part in the trial. Assistant Chief Officer of Portlaoise Prison, Margaret Burke, was asked to go down to McKevitt this morning and order him to attend the trial, but he rejected the request. Prosecution lawyer George Birmingham pointed to an article in today`s Irish Independent which outlined McKevitt`s role in a protest at Portlaoise Prison in support of another protest at Northern Ireland`s Maghaberry Prison. He the defence would have wished to draw attention to the undesirable light in which it portrayed the defendant. But presiding judge Richard Johnson said the court ``is not going to be affected by reports in the papers.`` Former Detective Garda Patrick McGurren told the court he had seen a previous girlfriend of chief prosecution witness, FBI agent David Rupert, speaking at a hunger strike commemoration in 1989. Mr Rupert spent 15 days in the witness box explaining how he infiltrated dissident republican groups in Ireland for the FBI and MI5. The last witness called by the prosecution was former Garda Sergeant Joe McCarron. He said that in 1996 David Rupert was in charge of a licensed premises in Co Leitrim. He said he met the agent on a couple of occasions. Since no defence team was present, the prosecution did not sum up its case. Before the judges retired, Mr Birmingham produced a document outlining the options now available to McKevitt. These included calling Assistant Garda Commissioner Dermot Jennings and a number of FBI and MI5 agents to give evidence. The document was taken down to the defendant but he refused to act on it, referring the court back to a statement he read out when he sacked his legal team. McKevitt, of Blackrock, Dundalk, Co Louth, denies directing dissident republican terror group the Real IRA, and being a member of the organisation. The court was adjourned until Wednesday August 6 while the judges considered their verdict.