Documents contradict evidence of McBrearty Snr

A PUBLICAN wrongly arrested during a botched murder probe knew about his son’s false murder confession four months before he claims to have been made aware of it, the Morris Tribunal yesterday heard.

Documents handed over by Frank McBrearty Snr to the hearing proved he was aware of the confession during his detention in December 1996.

The nightclub boss has always maintained he first heard of the confession at a High Court hearing four months later.

Yet, despite the compelling evidence against him, Mr McBrearty Snr refused to change earlier statements which criticised two detectives he claimed fabricated their story that they had told the prisoner about the confession.

He said he could not remember telling his lawyer that as 10 years had passed.

“If that’s what I said to my lawyer that’s what I said,” said Mr McBrearty Snr.

“But I know my son never signed a confession to anybody. He was at work with his father.”

The publican’s home in Raphoe, Co Donegal, was raided by gardaí during the investigation into the death of cattle dealer Richie Barron 10 years ago.

Gardaí suspected his son, Frank McBrearty Jnr and nephew Mark McConnell, had murdered the man.

It was later ruled Mr Barron was the victim of a hit-and-run. No one has ever been charged in relation to his death.

A few hours into his interrogation, on December 5, 1996, Mr McBrearty Snr was admitted to Letterkenny General Hospital on the advice of a doctor.

He was released from hospital one week later and immediately taken back into garda custody for further interrogation, but was again admitted to hospital.

Documents which Mr McBrearty Snr finally handed over to the tribunal showed he told his solicitor James O’Donnell on December 13, 1996, that two Dublin detectives had told him they had a confession from his son.

“They told everybody that,” he continued. “That was their game.”

Throughout the hearing, tribunal chairman, Mr Justice Frederick Morris, had to frequently remind Mr McBrearty to answer questions put to him.

When quizzed over discrepancies in his evidence to the tribunal, where he claims he was verbally abused, compared to his High Court statement of claims where he alleges he was abused, Mr McBrearty defended his innocence.

“I said I wasn’t hit, but I was assaulted,” he said. “They were framing me and my family for murder.”