State to pay McBrearty family’s €500,000 tribunal legal fees

THE State is to pay the estimated €500,000-plus legal bill of Donegal publican Frank McBrearty and his family at the Morris Tribunal, Mr Justice Frederick Morris ruled last night.

Mr McBrearty Jnr, who was wrongly framed for murder, would be granted his costs even though he has withdrawn his co-operation from the hearings.

Judge Morris said the family’s legal fees would be paid until the day their legal team was discharged in May 2004. There will be no payment for costs incurred at the inquiry while Mr McBrearty and his cousin, Mark McConnell, represented themselves. The McBreartys discharged their legal team over a year ago after spiralling costs threatened to ruin their business.