Informer 'outwitted' shamed garda, tribunal told
A sacked superintendent tried to plant explosives on a Co Donegal farm in 1997 but was “outwitted” by his garda informer, the Morris Tribunal heard today.
Chief Supt Denis Fitzpatrick, who retired last year after he was criticised in the tribunal’s first report, claimed that Supt Kevin Lennon hatched the hoax find with local informer William Doherty in March 1997.
Speaking about a fruitless three-day search on a Raphoe farm, the former head of the Donegal garda division said: “I believe that William Doherty was to place something there so that it could be found later... but that didn’t occur. Doherty outwitted Kevin Lennon.
“I think Kevin Lennon was behind that plan. It’s my gut feeling. He was so confident and so strong that there was something there.”
Former Supt Lennon immediately accused the witness of “attempting to distort the facts to try to manipulate this tribunal against me”.
He added: “This is an outrageous comment which he should withdraw or stand up. I’m extremely annoyed at the behaviour of this witness.”
Chief supt Fitzpatrick retired last September after he was accused of “gross negligence” in the tribunal’s interim report.
Lennon was dismissed from the force by the Garda Commissioner after the same report.
The tribunal is currently hearing evidence on the module covering the garda investigation into the death of cattle dealer Richie Barron in October 1996.
Evidence was given earlier that the retired officer’s official notebooks and journals were destroyed in August 2000, but that he had made no notes on the Barron investigation.
“I’m not a great note taker,” he explained.
Tribunal counsel Anthony Barr, SC asked the witness if he felt it was significant that the notes of three senior officers in the division at the time had been destroyed.
“I can only explain for myself,” the retired officer said.
During later cross-examination by counsel for Garda John O’Dowd, the chief supt disagreed that Garda O’Dowd had ever called him on his mobile phone but he accepted he called his office “intermittently” but not regularly.
Judge Frederick Morris had earlier said of Garda O’Dowd’s relationship with informer William Doherty: “A garda was being made a fool of by a pseudo-informant. He was leading him up the garden path by telling him a pack of lies.”
Garda O’Dowd was dismissed by the Garda Commissioner last month.
The tribunal also heard how Doherty was given £250 from the Donegal division’s “secret service fund” to buy veterinary products in Dublin to expose a related agricultural scam in the border area.
However the witness said the matter was never followed up. “I made no enquiries. I overlooked it,” he explained.
