‘I just had one thought ... to nail McBrearty’

A GARDA involved in the botched investigation into the death of a Raphoe cattle dealer apparently admitted he was paranoid and wanted to “nail” Frank McBrearty Snr, it emerged yesterday.

A letter reportedly written by Garda Philip Collins to Garda John O’Dowd, who was dismissed from the force last week, concedes certain evidence may have been fabricated. “I had no idea what happened to Richie Barron, I was just fooling myself that I knew,” the letter, dated March 1998, reads. “I just had one thought and that was to nail McBrearty. That bastard should have been nailed years ago. I even went as far as making a statement that he was following me, that I think was pure fantasy. I got very paranoid, John, and I got very sick.”

Mr Collins previously made a statement claiming he had noticed Mr McBrearty driving along and watching him as he visited the Peoples’ house, after they received hoax phone calls accusing them of murdering Mr Barron. He resigned earlier this year and has so far refused to appear before the tribunal due to ill health.