Senior garda ‘raised concerns’ after hearing loud voices in interrogation room
Detective Sergeant Sylvester Henry admitted querying the raised voices in the room next to where he was interviewing Charlotte Peoples on December 4, 1996 in Letterkenny Garda Station.
Ms Peoples has told the tribunal she was upset after hearing roaring in the interrogation room where her cousin Roisin McConnell was being interviewed.
Det Sgt Henry said: “After the interview was over, for example I went to Garda (Martin) Leonard, who was the member in charge, and I asked him ‘Is everything ok next door?’.”
He added: “There is a line I suppose that you might say, you don’t go over in relation to the interview, so were we at that line.”
Det Sgt Henry said he raised his concerns with Gda Leonard as he believed interview protocol was close to being breached.
“I said ‘Is everything OK next door?’, I said ‘Are you sure?’, he said ‘yeah, yeah’.”
He said he reassured Ms Peoples she would be treated “in a proper manner” during her interview.
He admitted that she was apprehensive that something was going on next door.
“Obviously it was a fairly vigorous interview, and from the point of view of somebody who was never in a garda station before they might find it a lot more (stressful) than somebody who would have call to be there.”
He said he believed the source of the raised voice was Det Sgt John White.
Det Garda John Dooley and Det Sgt John White have admitted psychologically torturing Ms McConnell and Katrina Brolly during their interviews.
Det Sgt Henry said: “I am very angry reading what has been disclosed to the tribunal about what went on next door because under no circumstances would I allow it near me.”
Det Garda Michael Jennings, now retired, said he heard “raised voices and a very vigorous-type interview” coming from the other room while he was interviewing Ms Peoples.
He said Ms Peoples did not ask him to intervene in her cousin’s interrogation, contrary to what she claims.
