Gardaí sacked in wake of corruption probe revelations

TWO gardaí at the centre of a garda corruption inquiry concerning the investigation into the death of Donegal cattle dealer Richie Barron were last night sacked from the force.

Donegal gardaí John O'Dowd and Padraig Mulligan became the latest officers to lose their jobs since the Morris Tribunal began probing allegations of corruption in the 1990s.

Both were fired from An Garda Síochána on severely reduced pensions after a final appeal against an internal disciplinary hearing failed. A legal source confirmed they were dismissed yesterday after the appeals board turned down their final submission.

A garda source said it was a "dark day" for the men, who are effectively now "on the dole".

Frank McBrearty Snr, whose family and associates were targeted by gardaí investigating the death of Mr Barron, said last night: "It's clear that garda management has a strategy to confine the blame to local low-ranking gardaí but it was not local gardaí who misled the coroner in Donegal and the Dáil."

The Morris Tribunal is examining the apparent hit-and-run death of Mr Barron in October 1996. It has heard witness accounts that both men, including Garda O'Dowd who was in plain clothes, were seen in a pub in Lifford on the night of Mr Barron's death.

Garda Mulligan, who had been in the force for 18 years, was on duty at the time.

The two local gardaí did not admit they were in a pub until 2003.

In the opening statement of the Barron investigation module, Peter Charleton, counsel for the tribunal, said that Gda Mulligan, who was on duty at the time left the district with his off-duty colleague Gda O'Dowd.

They went to a pub which is known as Brannigan's, or Daly's, in Lifford.

Mr Charleton said the information was eventually extracted from the men through interviews with Chief Superintendent Brian Garvey of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

The tribunal has also heard evidence that Gda O'Dowd was the handler for a petty criminal turned informer, who was believed to have connived to drive a murder investigation against Frank McBrearty Jnr.

Both gardaí also attended the scene of Mr Barron's death, along with two others, and were heavily criticised for failing to preserve it and not informing any superiors when they learnt the cattle dealer had died.

The first report from Mr Justice Frederick Morris on explosive finds found that Superintendent Kevin Lennon and Detective Noel McMahon orchestrated the planting of ammunition and hoax explosives.

Superintendent Lennon was dismissed from the force, while Detective Garda McMahon resigned, as did two others, including Chief Superintendent Denis Fitzpatrick. Seventeen other members of the force were also facing the possibility of disciplinary measures.