‘Barron killed after scuffle with garda’

AN extraordinary tale involving allegations that two gardaí were involved in the death of cattle dealer Richie Barron emerged at the Morris Tribunal yesterday.

In a statement given to the Carty inquiry into the activities of some gardaí in Donegal, supposed informer Adrienne McGlinchey claimed her handler Detective Garda Noel McMahon told her the tale. The allegations emerged as the opening statement by tribunal counsel continued to be heard.

Ms McGlinchey said Det Garda McMahon had told her that the two gardaí came across the dealer Richie Barron on the road near Raphoe and told him to get off the road.

Mr Barron, it is claimed, told them to ‘f..k off’. One of the gardaí got out, there was a scuffle and the other officer jumped out of the car and hit Mr Barron with a metal object.

Ms McGlinchey said Det Garda McMahon rang her in Dublin and asked her for £10,000, adding that it was because a garda was in trouble. She gave him £3,000 and then arranged to hand over the money to a “farmer-type person”. Two weeks later, she claims to have been handed a metal object to wash. She said there could have been blood on the object. But Ms McGlinchey also told investigators she thought the story about the gardaí was rubbish, Det Garda McMahon denied it happened while tribunal counsel Peter Charleton said there is nothing to suggest it is true.

Sheenagh McMahon, the estranged wife of Det Garda McMahon, told the Carty inquiry that she was told Superintendent Kevin Lennon, his superior, had wanted her husband to take part in the inquiry into the death of Mr Barron.

Mrs McMahon said her husband told her: “I am not going on this case as there will be heads rolling over it.” The tribunal heard allegations on Monday that Det Garda McMahon and Supt Lennon were involved with Ms McGlinchey in concocting bomb finds in order to further their careers. All the allegations are denied by the two men.

In evidence, one garda said that Det Garda McMahon told him that he had driven a bomb into Strabane in order to assist Ms McGlinchey and her friend Yvonne Devlin, who many senior gardaí believed were involved in the Provisional IRA. Gardaí at grassroots believed they were attention seekers and had no involvement with paramilitaries.

The garda, Sgt John O’Keeffe, said he did not believe Det Garda McMahon as he had been drinking and had found him to be untruthful in that sort of situation.

Following the establishment of the Carty inquiry in early 1999, Ms McGlinchey claims she was kidnapped by the IRA. Other evidence was given that she orchestrated the threats against her.