No evidence shamed garda planted drugs, Tribunal told
There is no evidence to back up an accusation a senior Donegal garda planted drugs on a man he arrested at a nightclub, it was claimed today.
Cormac O’Dulacháin, senior counsel for disgraced ex-detective sergeant John White, told the Morris Tribunal his client never framed Raphoe man Paul Quinn, whom he had arrested on suspicion of drugs possession at Frank McBrearty Senior’s nightclub in February, 1997.
Mr Quinn, a member of the extended McBrearty family, said he was detained by the then garda after asking his name.
He accused White of stuffing drugs, later revealed to be LSD, in his jacket pocket at Raphoe garda station.
But Mr Quinn admitted to the tribunal he never witnessed the garda plant the drugs but believed he did so because White had allegedly harassed members of his extended family.
“What we have here is a theory, we have no evidence,” Mr O’Dulacháin said.
Mr Quinn approached White at the club over the alleged intimidation by the garda of his sister, Roisin McConnell, during an interrogation connected with the October 1996 killing of local cattle dealer, Richie Barron.
Mrs McConnell’s husband Mark and his cousin Frank McBrearty Junior had been wrongly suspected of the death by gardai.
Other members of their extended family were arrested on suspicion of aiding the pair.
The McBreartys alleged officers, particularly White, were harassing them to reveal supposed covered-up information about the Barron killing, which was later ruled an unsolved hit-and-run and the family cleared of any wrongdoing.
Mr Quinn said that while he did not see White plant the drugs in his jacket, he believed he did so because of “what he was capable of” and because the garda knew his connection with the McConnells.
Mr O’Dulacháin said a tape of the interrogation, at which another garda, Phelim Moran, was also present, revealed inaccuracies in Mr Quinn’s recollection of events.
The barrister claimed the allegation had no substance.
Counsel for Garda Moran told the tribunal his client also denied planting drugs and believed Mr White to be innocent.
“They all look after each other,” replied Mr Quinn.
“They don’t snitch on each other. I wouldn’t expect anything else,” he said.
The tribunal is investigating claims the McBrearty family was the victim of orchestrated harassment and intimidation by gardaí.
