Detective unaware of garda pact to break woman
A detective garda was unaware of any agreement between officers to ensure a woman was broken down during an interview in a Donegal garda station, the Morris Tribunal heard today.
Det Gda Thomas Kilcoyne, who was the member in charge at Letterkenny Garda station when Katrina Brolly and her sister Roisin McConnell were arrested on December 4, 1996, said he was not privy to any pact.
Mrs Brolly’s solicitor Ken Fogarty asked: “You had no idea a decision had been made earlier on from any source whatsoever that this woman, Katrina Brolly, was going to be as suggested, the phrase used ’broken’?”
“No,” Det Gda Kilcoyne said.
The tribunal is hearing evidence over the detention of two Donegal sisters in December 1996 in relation to the death of cattle dealer Richie Barron.
Three officers – Det Gda John Dooley, Det Sgt John White and Gda Joan Gallagher – are accused of intimidating Mrs McConnell and Mrs Brolly while investigating the whereabouts of Mrs McConnell’s husband mark, who was wrongly accused of being involved in the death.
Det Sgt White and Det Gda Dooley have admitted at the tribunal the psychological torture meted out to the two women. Both officers have apologised for the hurt and pain they caused.
The tribunal has previously heard during the interviews the women were threatened with long jail sentences, had their hair pulled, were shown graphic pictures of the dead man and were told their children would be taken away by social services.
Under cross-examination, Det Gda Kilcoyne said he was not privy to discussions between officers as Mrs Brolly’s detention period for questioning was extended.
“It is almost requirement, or possibly a requirement of the regulations that I do not take an active part in the actual investigation of the alleged offence. I’m almost excluded from the investigative process of the investigation. It is highly recommended that I don’t take any part in it,” he said.
Det Gda Kilcoyne said as member in charge at the Letterkenny Garda Station he just dealt with regulations in relation to the interviews.
The detective said he was not made aware at any stage of a request by Mrs Brolly during her interview to phone home to check on her children.
“The usual would be if such a request was made, that whoever the request was made of they would take her up to office to make the phone call,” he said.
