Legal aid for Carthy gardaí

NINE members of the Garda Emergency Response Unit have been granted full legal representation at the Abbeylara Tribunal which is to investigate the shooting dead of John Carthy by the unit almost three years ago.

Twenty-nine other gardaí up to the rank of inspector were also granted full representation at a sitting of the High Court yesterday as was the Garda Commissioner Pat Byrne in his capacity as head of the force.

The High Court ruling by tribunal chairman Justice Robert Barr allows the 36 named officers, separately from Commissioner Byrne, to be represented collectively by a firm of solicitors, two senior counsel and one junior counsel for the entire duration of the inquiry.

Commissioner Byrne, on behalf of the force and specifically any other senior officers of relevance but not already named to the Tribunal, is similarly allowed retain a firm of solicitors and three barristers for as long the inquiry takes.

Full representation was also granted to Dr David Shanley, the psychiatrist who treated John Carthy (27) prior to the armed siege which led to his death at his home in Abbeylara in April 2000 and who had scheduled Mr Carthy for an appointment the day the siege began.

Justice Barr granted limited representation, as requested, to Ms Marie and Mrs Rose Carthy, the sister and mother of John Carthy, who sought only to be represented throughout the first four of the six modules into which the inquiry is divided.

Local GP, Dr Pat Cullen, who had been Mr Carthy’s doctor since 1984, was granted legal representation for the first two modules, as was Dr Gerard Maher who was in practice with Dr Cullen and occasionally attended to Mr Carthy. They are allowed retain a solicitor and one junior counsel.

Justice Barr said further applications by other witnesses for representation could be made at any time during the inquiry if issues arose that had implications for them. The Tribunal will next sit on February 12 in Longford for the formal opening of proceedings.