Sacked garda refused to handle notebook, tribunal told
Sacked Superintendent Kevin Lennon refused to handle evidence from the investigation into the death of cattle dealer Richie Barron for fear of accusations being made against him, the Morris Tribunal heard today.
Detective Sergeant Hugh Smith said that officers investigating the death had found a notebook containing references to the case in the home of a police informer, William Doherty.
The sergeant said they came to believe the notebook may have belonged to a member of the Garda Síochána and an officer asked the former superintendent if it belonged to him due to the writing style used.
He added: “Detective Sergeant (Sylvie) Henry who had possession of the original notebook produced the notebook and I think he was about to hand it to Supt Lennon, when Supt Lennon said: ‘I don’t want to touch it. You’ll not find my prints in it.'
"I think in fairness Det Sgt Henry wasn’t handing it to Supt Lennon to entrap him into it. He was going to show him the notebook.”
Det Sgt Smith said: “He has since told me it is not his writing, and I accepted that.”
Supt Lennon, who was dismissed by the Government today, told the tribunal that he had offered his handwriting and fingerprints to show the officers he had no contact with the notebook.
Mr Doherty had already told the tribunal as he gave evidence that he had stolen the book from Garda John O’Dowd to see what was being written about the case.
Supt Lennon, as he questioned the detective sergeant, alleged that he felt there had been a conspiracy to apportion blame in his direction after the case collapsed.
He told Judge Frederick Morris: “I am making it against Inspector (John) McGinley and Sergeant (Martin) Moylan and the consequent fallout from that, sir.
"On the basis sir that Inspector McGinley put to me in the room on that fatal day that he believed I was involved with Robert Noel McBride and the consequent fallout from that.”
Det Sgt Smith said be never believed the superintendent was ever involved with anything that went wrong with witness Noel McBride and the withdrawal of his statement.
The former superintendent said: “Will you accept sergeant from your knowledge that I legitimately carried out an investigation process as best I could into the events surrounding the death of Richie Barron up until March of 1998?”
Det Sgt Smith replied: “Yes, I accept that. You took on a new team and went over all the material.”
Supt Lennon said: “I was the very first person who questioned the bona fides of Robert Noel McBride in April of 1997.”
Earlier, the sergeant said he had no knowledge of Supt Lennon being “excluded” from the investigation into Mr Doherty and he believed some of the other senior gardaí were briefing him.
