Claims gardaí were unaware of alibi laughable, says former detective sergeant

THE claim that gardaí weren’t aware a member of the extended McBrearty family had an alibi for the night he was alleged to have threatened a witness with a silver bullet is laughable, a former detective sergeant said.

Detective Sergeant John White insisted he had told his Sligo colleague Inspector Gerard Connolly about the alibi when it emerged in court in Letterkenny in relation to another case.

Bernard Conlon, a witness in a licensing prosecution against the McBreartys, made the false allegation that he was threatened by two men, whom he later identified as Mark McConnell and Michael Peoples, to withdraw his evidence in the case.

Mr Conlon has since alleged he was used by Det Sgt White to set up the two men, a claim denied by the former garda officer.

Insp Connolly, who was in charge of investigating the allegation, has told the Morris Tribunal that Det Sgt White had not told him about the alibi Mark McConnell had.

His counsel Mark de Blacam said if Insp Connolly had known about the alibi, he would have investigated it and included it in his written report on the case.

But Det Sgt White said: “The reason he is telling you I didn’t tell him is to take the blame off him for arresting Michael Peoples.”

Det Sgt White said the whole county of Donegal knew about the alibi for Mark McConnell, who was high-profile at the time, and that it had been reported in the Donegal Democrat.

“To say detectives in Letterkenny weren’t aware of this alibi is laughable. It’s not improbable, it’s laughable.”