Alleged informer 'leaned on' to make claims against detective
Alleged IRA informer Adrienne McGlinchey was coaxed and cajoled into making wild and untrue allegations against a senior Garda officer now at the centre of Garda corruption claims in Co Donegal, the Morris Tribunal heard today.
Detective Superintendent Kevin Lennon claimed colleagues were out to get him after he criticised their handling of an investigation into the apparent hit-and-run death of cattle dealer Richie Barron.
He said Ms McGlinchey had been leaned upon by other officers.
Superintendent Lennon told the tribunal chairman Mr Justice Frederick Morris: “I was totally isolated as a result in terms of my contact with anybody and all that. Everybody ignored me from that day onwards.”
He and another senior officer, Garda Noel McMahon, have categorically denied claims they prepared explosives with Ms McGlinchey which were used as bogus arms finds.
Ms McGlinchey has also rejected claims she was an IRA member or informer.
On Day Six of his evidence, Superintendent Lennon claimed he was approached by members of the Carty team involved in an internal Garda probe in Co Donegal whom he claimed made wild and untrue accusations against him involving bribes, cover-ups and faked arms finds.
He said they were “out to get” him after he took over the inquiries into the 1996 death in Raphoe of Mr Barron, and wrote a report critical of fellow officers.
Superintendent Lennon rejected a suggestion that his theory that Ms McGlinchey had been “leaned upon” was completely false.
He declared: “They came down to investigate telephone calls and suddenly the whole emphasis changed onto me. The emphasis was placed more on me than the garda investigation thereafter.”
Asked who he was specifically pointing the finger at, Superintendent Lennon replied: “The people who interviewed Ms McGlinchey.”
He said they had “encouraged, coaxed and cajoled” her into making the accusations.”
