Tapes stolen from tribunal witness
The work of the Morris Tribunal will not be affected by the theft of possible evidence from a key garda witness, it emerged tonight.
Audio tapes with evidence relevant to the inquiry were taken in a burglary from Garda Tina Fowley’s Letterkenny home recently.
Local gardaí confirmed they were investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident but refused to comment further.
However a tribunal spokesman said tonight that any tapes relevant to its work have already been copied and stored by its legal team.
Tribunal registrar Brendan O’Donnell said: “A discovery order would have been made on all relevant documentation and materials relating to a witness’ evidence and we would have them in our possession.”
Mr O’Donnell also confirmed neither Fowley nor Letterkenny gardai had contacted the tribunal.
Ms Fowley’s solicitor Damien Tansey said that valuables were left untouched in the house and only the tapes were taken.
Garda Fowley is currently suspended from the force on an unrelated matter.
She is due to give evidence to the next module of the Morris Tribunal, which will deal with the arrest and detention of Frank McBrearty Jr and an alleged confession by him to the 1996 murder of Richie Barron.
It is claimed that the so-called confession is a forgery and Garda Fowley says that she saw a senior Garda practise Mr McBrearty’s signature during his detention at Letterkenny Garda station.
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