Witness's deviousness prompted death threat claim, tribunal told
A witness who alleged he was threatened with a silver bullet by two members of the extended McBrearty family did so because he was devious, a former detective sergeant said today.
Bernard Conlon falsely alleged that two men, whom he later identified as Mark McConnell and Michael Peoples, had issued him with a death threat in July 1998 over evidence he gave against the McBreartys in a licensing prosecution.
In January 2000, Mr Conlon told the Carty internal garda investigation team that Det Sgt White had pointed out to him a man in court who he should identify as the man who had made the threat.
Mr Conlon has told the Morris Tribunal into garda corruption in Donegal he was used to set up the two men by Det Sgt White.
But today Det Sgt White told the tribunal Mr Conlon had made up the accusation against him, and highlighted the witness’s failure to say he already knew who Mark McConnell was when the officer was alleged to have pointed him out.
“He knew when he was saying it that it was lies, because he knew Mark McConnell.
“He had had an altercation with them, he obviously didn’t like the McBreartys,” he said.
“He was devious and cunning and played a game with them (Carty team),” he said.
But Des Dockery, counsel for Mr Conlon, said the Carty team had recovered a statement in Mr Conlon’s house in January 2000 which showed the witness knew Mr McConnell before the alleged incident, and that he had acknowledged it was his.
“That point of yours is totally inflated,” Mr Dockery said.
“Do you really think so?” the detective sergeant asked.
“You’re a very intelligent man and I don’t believe you think it. I’ve rebutted it as best I can,” Det Sgt White said.
Det Sgt White was asked if he thought it was a coincidence Mr Conlon had drawn him into the silver bullet incident by alleging the detective sergeant was mentioned in the threat by the two men
He replied: “It’s a coincidence or it’s part of his devious nature.
“He made this up and he made it up himself.
“Perhaps by bringing my name into it he was doing me a favour in some way, saying Sgt White was under threat or something,” he added.
Det Sgt White said he had his suspicions by the end of 1998 that Mr Conlon’s statement was unlikely to be true, but had many of his own cases to deal with.
He also said he stayed away from the ’silver bullet’ case because he was afraid Mark McConnell would make another complaint against him.
The McBrearty family have alleged they were the victims of a campaign of garda harassment after they became suspects in the death of Raphoe cattle dealer Richie Barron.
