Gardaí instructed to target McBrearty family

SENIOR gardaí gave instructions to target the McBrearty family as part of the investigation into the death of a Donegal cattle family, the Morris Tribunal into garda corruption heard yesterday.

The family pub in Raphoe was inspected on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in the early months of 1997 and these inspections lasted up to two hours, rather than the standard 20 minutes.

Sergeant Sarah Hargadon said that when she was transferred to Raphoe garda station in June 1997, she was told to continue with the practice.

“Because they (the McBreartys) were unco-operative in the investigation and it was felt that if the pressure was put on them someone might come out and say what really happened on the night Richie Barron was killed.”

The 54-year-old cattle dealer was found dead on the roadside outside Raphoe in October 1996 in a suspected hit-and-run accident, but gardaí wrongly assumed it was a murder.

Sgt Hargadon said she did not get instructions in writing but added that she remembered being spoken to by the district officer in charge, Superintendent Kevin Lennon.

“From what I can recall it was that it wouldn’t look good for Frank McBrearty if he was to rear up on a woman.”

The Morris Tribunal heard that student gardaí in Letterkenny were used to going undercover in the nightclub to gather video evidence of breaches of the licensing laws.

Sgt Hargadon said she had believed the McBrearty’s were involved in the death of Richie Barron and that there was a “conspiracy” and a “wall of silence” in the town to cover up for them.

She said she had taken this on trust from other members of the force at the time but had since changed her views.

“I just feel sad about it all, that all of this has happened. It’s just been a disaster really.”

Sgt Hargadon was giving evidence of her role in an inspection of the McBrearty’s nightclub on August 31, 1997.

A Sligo man, Bernard Conlon, claimed he was intimidated and warned not to give evidence against the McBrearty family over breaches of licensing laws on that night. But he was later convicted of making false statements against two members of the extended McBrearty family, Mark McConnell and Michael Peoples, who he had claimed had threatened him with a silver bullet in July 1998.

A friend of Mr Conlon told the tribunal that he had decided to go to visit Frankie’s nightclub on August 31, 1997, on the spur of the moment.

“It wasn’t planned. Bernard said he had to go and meet somebody,” said Catherine McGovern.

She said she left the nightclub at the end of the night with her boyfriend, Anthony Kearns, who then warned Mr Conlon that the gardaí were arriving.

Mr Conlon had his name taken and later told the gardaí that he was willing to give evidence in court.