Suspect ‘was punched and spat at’

ONE of the men arrested on suspicion of killing cattle dealer Richie Barron claims he was shown photos of the dead man’s body, was punched, poked in the eye and a senior garda spat in his face while in detention.

Mark McConnell’s claims, denied by gardaí, were made in a statement taken during an internal garda enquiry and revealed in detail in the Morris Tribunal yesterday.

The tribunal is currently hearing claims over the arrests of McConnell, Frank McBrearty Jnr and associates, by a team probing the death of Mr Barron in Donegal in October 1996.