A former garda today claimed a solicitor laughed while making an allegation of brutality on behalf of his client.

Two handwriting experts today said Frank McBrearty Jnr was the author of a contested signature on an alleged confession into the death of a Donegal cattle dealer.

A PUBLICAN wrongly arrested during a botched murder probe knew about his son’s false murder confession four months before he claims to have been made aware of it, the Morris Tribunal yesterday heard.

A retired garda today said a murder suspect did not complain of garda abuse to his solicitor during a phone call in his presence.

A doctor called to a garda station to take a blood sample from a murder suspect could not recall him making any complaints, the Morris Tribunal heard today.

A detective garda denied there was a conspiracy among officers before the Morris Tribunal to reject claims graphic autopsy photographs had been shown to suspects during a murder inquiry.

A Detective Garda today admitted it was a serious matter that a number of the interview notes from a prime suspect in a murder went missing.

A Donegal man complained to his solicitor of harassment and abuse by a garda during an interview over the death of cattle dealer Richie Barron, the Morris Tribunal heard today.

A Garda detective today denied hurting a young child during the wrongful arrest of a murder suspect.

A murder suspect was threatened that his child would be taken into care during a botched death probe, it was claimed today.

A FORMER garda accused of intimidating a man wrongly arrested for murder failed to appear to give evidence at the Morris Tribunal yesterday.

A GARDA sergeant told the Morris Tribunal yesterday that a man who has alleged he was threatened with a handgun in custody never made any complaints to him during an interview.

A once highly regarded detective garda has admitted systematically and severely abusing two innocent sisters as they were interrogated over the death of Donegal cattle dealer Richie Barron, it emerged today.

Hundreds of people are expected to turn up in Dublin today for the launch of a national anti-corruption network.

A group of people allegedly wronged by the instruments of the State have formed a new group to campaign against corruption.

Families involved in the Morris Tribunal will be among those at tonight’s meeting, writes John Breslin.

GARDA Commissioner Noel Conroy yesterday admitted he was not informed about the reclassification of cattle dealer Richie Barron’s death for over two years.

The Minister for Justice Michael McDowell must publish in full an internal garda probe into corruption in the Co Donegal division, it was claimed today.

Cormac O’Keeffe

THE IRA wants people to turn a blind eye to their “robbery and butchery” SDLP deputy leader Alasdair McDonnell told the Labour Party conference.

A CHIEF superintendent ordered an exhumation of the body of Raphoe cattle dealer Richie Barron to be cancelled because a new post mortem could have been disastrous for a garda murder inquiry, the Morris Tribunal was told yesterday.

The confession of a man in connection with the death of Raphoe cattle dealer Richie Barron in 1996 was a fraud, a former Garda officer said today.

LEGAL teams at the Donegal garda corruption probe are facing new rules to speed up the inquiry, it emerged yesterday.

Gardaí failed to interview around 100 "alibi witnesses" who could have cleared a man suspected of involvement in the murder of Raphoe cattle dealer Richie Barron, the Morris Tribunal today heard.

QUESTIONS should have been raised over the reliability and motivation of damning statements implicating a Raphoe publican in the death of a local cattle dealer, it was claimed last night.

A SENIOR detective used Charlie Haughey’s infamous GUBU phrase at the Morris Tribunal yesterday to describe “sinister elements” in the murder investigation of Richie Barron in 1996.

A senior garda in charge of the botched investigation into the death of a cattle dealer today defended his decision to release then murder suspect Frank McBrearty Jnr despite an alleged confession.

A senior garda in charge of the investigation into cattle dealer Richie Barron’s death said a local garda connived with an informer and a witness to frame the McBrearty family, the Morris Tribunal heard today.

The Morris Tribunal heard today that top-level gardaí probing the controversial death of cattle dealer Richie Barron in 1996 insisted on pursuing members of the McBrearty family for the crime despite stronger evidence against other suspects.

AN Garda Síochána is losing its discipline - a trend that will ultimately lead to disaster, Judge Frederick Morris concluded yesterday.

The chair of the Morris Tribunal today warned a Donegal man may face severe penalties if he felt he was deliberately obstructing the inquiry.

Frank McBrearty Jnr, whose family is at the centre of garda corruption allegations in Donegal, has said he and his father are willing to go to jail to secure an extension of the Morris Tribunal's terms of reference.

The Morris Tribunal has heard that an informer facing trial for making false statements to Gardai was asked to do so by his garda handler.