Murder probe 'was a shambles'
Supt Lennon was critical of the former head of the Co Donegal garda division, Chief Supt Denis Fitzpatrick, whom he began cross-examining.
Supt Lennon took control of the second garda investigation into the death of Raphoe cattle dealer Richie Barron when he was transferred to Letterkenny in February 1997.
“I took over a shambles. This matter shouldn’t have been left on my desk half-done and half not done. I was being sacrificed on the altar of inefficiency and incompetence of that first investigation,” he said.
Chief Supt Fitzpatrick, who retired last September after he was criticised in the tribunal’s first interim report, replied: “When you take over a district you take it over. You take what is there and you get on with it.”
Earlier, Chief Supt Fitzpatrick said a fruitless three-day search ordered by Supt Lennon on a farm near Raphoe in 1997 had “a lot of resemblance” to previous bogus explosives finds examined by the tribunal.
He went on: “You expected a find. You had built up expectations but the missing ingredient was that there was no find at all. You had the very strong expectation that a find would be made.”
Supt Lennon said: “Are you saying bluntly to the public of Ireland that I put (informer) William Doherty up to that search?”
“I have no evidence to say that ... but that is my belief,” replied Chief Supt Fitzpatrick.
