Lennon ‘refused to handle evidence’
Detective Sergeant Hugh Smith said officers investigating the death had found a notebook containing references to the case in the home of a police informer, William Doherty.
The sergeant said they came to believe the notebook may have belonged to a member of the Garda Siochana and an officer asked the former superintendent if it belonged to him, due to the writing style used.
He added: “Det Sgt (Sylvie) Henry, who had possession of the original notebook, produced the notebook and I think he was about to hand it to Supt Lennon, when Supt Lennon said ‘I don’t want to touch it, you’ll not find my prints in it’.
“I think in fairness, Det Sgt Henry wasn’t handing it to Supt Lennon to entrap him into it, he was going to show him the notebook.”
Det Sgt Smith said: “He has since told me it is not his writing, and I accepted that.”
Supt Lennon, who was dismissed by the Government yesterday, told the tribunal he had offered his handwriting and fingerprints to show the officers he had no contact with the notebook.
Mr Doherty had already told the tribunal he gave evidence he had stolen the book from Garda John O’Dowd to see what was being written about the case.
Supt Lennon, as he questioned the detective sergeant, said he felt there had been a conspiracy to apportion blame in his direction after the case collapsed.
He told Judge Frederick Morris: “I am making it against Inspector (John) McGinley and Sergeant (Martin) Moylan and the consequent fallout from that, sir.
“On the basis, sir, that Inspector McGinley put to me in the room on that fatal day that he believed I was involved with Robert Noel McBride and the consequent fallout from that.”
Det Sgt Smith said he never believed the superintendent was involved with anything that went wrong with witness Noel McBride and the withdrawal of his statement.
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