Tribunal told of Garda witnesses 'unusual' interview
The interview of a key Garda witness during the investigation into the death of a Donegal cattle dealer was carried out in an odd and strange manner, the Morris Tribunal heard today.
Superintendent John McGinley, who was then a detective inspector, said the witness, Noel McBride, was brought to a different Garda station (Letterkenny) and then interviewed by a different Garda in July 1997.
He described the behaviour of the officer involved, Sergeant John White, as odd and strange.
“Sgt White was involved in the (Richie Barron) investigation from December 1996 and was then stationed in Raphoe. There was probably nobody who had more knowledge than him and therefore in the best position to take that statement,” he said.
Superintendent McGinley said he was also concerned about Sergeant White’s relationship with a Garda informer William Doherty.
Doherty was later blamed for forcing the witness, McBride, into making a series of statements which wrongly implicated Frank McBrearty junior and his cousin Mark McConnell in the death of the cattle dealer Richie Barron in Raphoe, Co Donegal 1996.
After the July 1997 interview with McBride, Superintendent McGinley proposed putting his allegations to the McBrearty family. However, this was rejected by Sergeant White on the grounds that it would expose the cover of McBride and “blow him out of the water”.
Superintendent McGinley was not sure about Sergeant White’s connections with Doherty at the time.
But he decided to exclude Sergeant White from the Garda team which arrested Doherty for questioning a month later.
“He seemed to be close to William Doherty. That was why when the operation came up, he wasn’t a part of it,” he said.
Sergeant White felt “slighted” by this and contacted Superintendent McGinley several times to express his annoyance.
Solicitor Paudge Dorrian, representing Sergeant White, said his client had only been in contact with Doherty on three or four occasions. The other visits were to see Doherty’s father, who was dying from cancer.
He added that although Sergeant White had given his mobile number to Doherty in July 1997, he did the same with many other people he met.
“Here’s a suspicious situation being built up (by you) and my client is becoming a suspicious character,” he said.
Superintendent McGinley said he had concerns at the time rather than suspicions.
He added that he had felt Sergeant White was also focusing too much on the Raphoe area as part of his work as a detective sergeant.
Sgt White was involved in serving many of the 160 summons against the McBrearty family for alleged violations of the liquor licencing laws in their pub and nightclub, as well as road traffic offences.
Judge Morris asked Superintendent McGinley if Sergeant White’s fixation with Raphoe, to the exclusion of his other duties, had aroused his suspicions.
“As a detective sergeant, I thought he was spending an inordinate amount of time in Raphoe,” said Superintendent McGinley.
He raised his concerns with his superiors but was told that Sergeant White was the best man he had.
