Detective was suspected of directing ‘silver bullet’ witness

A DETECTIVE sergeant was suspected of having an unethical involvement with a witness in cases against the McBrearty family in Donegal, a member of an internal garda investigation team said yesterday.

Chief superintendent Austin McNally told the Morris Tribunal into garda corruption in Donegal that Detective Sergeant John White came under suspicion when they examined whether an allegation made by witness Bernard Conlon of a death threat was true.

Mr Conlon testified against the McBreartys in a licensing prosecution and then falsely alleged two men had threatened him with a silver bullet over his evidence. He later identified the men as Mark McConnell and Michael Peoples, members of the extended McBrearty family.

Mr Conlon has told the ‘silver bullet’ module of the tribunal that Det Sgt White told him to make the allegation and that White was using him to set up a licensing prosecution.

The claims are denied by the detective sergeant, who has been acquitted of perverting the course of justice at Letterkenny Circuit Court.

The McBreartys, who were wrongly implicated in the death of Raphoe cattle dealer Richie Barron, have alleged they were the victims of garda harassment including a number of licensing prosecutions against their bar and nightclub.

The McBrearty family is not in a position to cross examine any witnesses giving evidence to the tribunal because it cannot afford legal representation because the State has refused to guarantee to pay their costs.

Yesterday Chief Supt McNally said: “He (White) would have been coming into the inquiry, he was involved in a lot of these prosecutions.

“We had suspicions that he was involved unethically with Bernard Conlon, and that would have been developed in late 1999, flowing from the pub issue and we would have had suspicions of other involvement in the threats.

“We would be waiting for our investigators on the ground to come back with evidence.”

He said suspicions had hardened by December 1999 or January 2000 when information emerged Mark McConnell had an alibi for the night he was accused of threatening Mr Conlon.

Suspicions regarding Det Sgt White’s involvement crystallised after the arrest of Mr Conlon in January 2000, Chief Supt McNally said.

He said Mr Conlon’s statement tallied with their suspicions but said the Carty team knew the witness was not trustworthy and that his story needed to be corroborated.

Chief Supt McNally dismissed claims that Det Sgt White advised against the arrest of Michael Peoples in May 1999 as lies.