Detective hoped women would not tell of abuse

A SUSPENDED detective sergeant said yesterday he had hoped two sisters would not tell the Morris Tribunal about the systematic abuse they suffered in custody.

After apologising from the witness box to Katrina Brolly and Roisin McConnell, Det Sgt John White said he had been banking on the pair not giving evidence about the heavy-handed interrogation they faced in Letterkenny station.

Earlier he told the inquiry denial and deceit was the easiest response to complaints from the two sisters in 1997.

“To be honest, Mr Chairman, I was hoping they were not going to come in,” the suspended officer said.

Det Sgt White suggested he thought Ms Brolly would follow the path set by the McBrearty family, who have insisted they will no longer co-operate with the tribunal.

Denying that he was playing the odds, Det Sgt White hastily added: “But I was not going to commit perjury.”

He said when push came to shove he would have admitted the psychological torture the women suffered.

The tribunal heard that up until last Saturday Det Sgt White had constantly denied the sisters were abused - nine years after the allegations were first made.

Even though his former colleague Garda John Dooley admitted the abuse on March 13, Det Sgt White still refused to come clean.

In a shock move, Det Sgt White faxed the tribunal his account of the intimidation the women suffered.

Det Sgt White yesterday said he wanted to apologise to Ms McConnell and Ms Brolly, “over the pain and hurt or trauma that they were caused by the interview... and that I do apologise to the two ladies“.

The former top detective is facing claims from Ms McConnell and Ms Brolly that they suffered systematic psychological torture at the hands of three officers - himself, Garda John Dooley and Garda Joan Gallagher.

Allegations that they were called lying bitches and shown graphic post-mortem pictures, and that Ms Brolly had her hair pulled, have been backed up by Garda John Dooley.

Det Sgt White admitted stepping outside custody rules set down by An Garda Síochána, but rejected claims of assault.

Det Sgt White has spent the last nine years denying abusing the women to a raft of investigators. Taking the stand for the first time since coming clean, he said he lied for self preservation.

Earlier, Garda Joan Gallagher said she could not recall any abuse and adamantly denied any role in it.

RTÉ was criticised yesterday after Morning Ireland reportedly aired a misleading reconstruction from the Morris Tribunal, leaving listeners with the impression that a trusted garda aide to the inquiry had no interest in uncovering the truth.

Tribunal chairman Mr Justice Frederick Morris agreed the State broadcast was badly edited and created a deeply unpleasant impression of the highly regarded liaison officer, Chief Superintendent Terry McGinn.

In a brief address, counsel for the tribunal Peter Charleton SC said the reconstruction, aired on the Radio One show left listeners with the feeling Ms McGinn was unsupportive.

RTÉ said a reply to remarks made at the Tribunal would be issued through today’s Morning Ireland programme.